Mutual Weirdness
by The-Butterses
Summary: Link and Allen are trying to get a good foothold on their relationship, but with all the nagging from Allen's friends, the threat of Link's boss finding out, and a million secrets between the two, there may be some assembly required. Can two weird people ever really balance out to normality?
1. Chapter 1

**So I actually made this last year in August and kind of just have been working on it since then... There's a good amount of chapters and it's not finished yet, but I wanted to get a really good head start on writing it before I start uploading it... A bit of a warning though, I tend to use harsh language because it's part of my identity, and also Lavi is made out to be kind of a troublesome guy (totally on accident)... Bear with me though, I'm working on it!**

**Also any advice would be really cool :)**

Mutual Weirdness

Chapter 1

"Link."

Howard Link, a man of about twenty years with golden hair that reached passed his shoulder blades, turned to look back at the owner of the prepubescent boy's voice.

"Link… We're not normal." Allen Walker, aged fifteen, had his head on the table desk, staring out into Link's library collection of assorted books containing old and new descent. Link put down the book he'd currently been reading to give Allen a confused look.

"What's wrong?"

"Lavi and I were talking…." Allen sighed. _Oh Great._ Link hated it when Allen would go and talk to Lavi. He understood that they were best friends and all, but seriously the red head had nothing good to say. It constantly seemed as though he had some sort of grudge against Link.

"What'd he say this time?"

"Well I was telling him about our relationship and all… Because he was asking me about it, you know?"

Link swallowed. These kinds of topics had been rising up more and more since he and Allen had started going out, and Lavi always had something to say. "Just spit it out. What did he bad mouth about me?"

"No, no! It wasn't like that!" Allen jumped from his chair and waved his arms, a flustered look coming to his younger face. "It's just… well you know… You and I have been dating for like… a little more than four months, right?"

"Yes…" He could already see where this was going, since similar conversations had been had before, and he already knew that this was going to be incredibly unpleasant.

"W-well… even though we say we're going out… we don't really do anything…" Allen blushed and looked down at his feet. "Lavi says normal couples are supposed to kiss… and stuff… Or you know, like… be close…" At this point Allen was shuffling his feet and trying to avoid looking at Link. "I come over here all the time and we study or hang out, but it's not really any different from being close friends, you know?"

Link chewed his cheek and got up from his arm chair so he could be somewhat eye level to the younger high school student. "Walker, you know my reasons for that at the moment…"

Allen heaved a sigh and leaned back against the table his head had been previously occupying. "I know, I know! The whole legal thing…. But we don't even call each other by our first names! Or we could hug… or something…"

Link felt the heat rising to his face, knowing he probably looked something equal to Allen in the blush department as of this moment. He could never keep his bearings in these topics… "Well I suppose we could do stuff like that…"

"So do it!" Allen stalked up to Link and stood before him, a red face and an uncertain expression plastering his features.

"I-if you say so… Allen…" He felt his breath hitch in his throat at the utterance of his date's first name, not used to anything of the romantic sort; though this didn't count much for romantic..

It seemed to have a similar effect on Allen, for the younger boy's face tightened up and both room occupants stood there stiff for a moment. Allen let out a frustrated groan and sank to the floor. "Oh my god.. we suck at this, Link…"

Link took in a deep breath to make up for the one that got caught earlier, also making his way down to the floor and resting on one knee. "Who cares what Lavi says?" He held out his hand to place on top of Allen's head, but decided against it and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "He's a good friend to you and all, but he lives a completely different life style than the two of us."

Allen looked up and brought the composure back to his expression. "He says a lot of things though…"

Link knew he was going to regret asking this, but he braved it anyway and replied, "Like, what?"

"Like how it's weird that you're a twenty year old virgin dating a sophomore three quarters your age…"

The older individual felt the stab to his pride like a million needles. He really hated that obnoxious red headed nuisance at times… This of course would have been one of those moments. "Do you… think it's weird…?" Thinking back on it, he still wasn't sure how he had built the courage to ask Allen out. Talking to the younger boy made him tongue tied and feel silly about himself, but nonetheless he had always been drawn to Allen due to his maturity and mysterious personality.

Allen glanced off to the side, appearing as though thinking something over before turning back and flashing Link a smile. "Yeah, it's pretty weird."

Link felt his heart sink for a moment before his date continued.

"But I think weird is good. I think life's goal is to find someone who's on an equal level of weirdness and to share their weird qualities with each other and live their lives out as corresponding weirdos." Allen reached out to Link's hand, catching his attention, before pulling it back and scratching his cheek instead. The blonde internally chastised himself for not meeting Allen half way and taking this opportunity to hold the younger's hand.

They really were bad at this… But Link wasn't willing to let go of Allen and give up just yet. When Allen had agreed to go out with them (let it be known they were both standing a yard away from each other and afterwards only greeted each other with awkward smiles for about a week) it had made him happier than anything in the world, a feeling he wasn't really quite used to. Allen was probably the only person he'd ever really felt interested in, but for now he wanted to keep things simple and slow, learning from all of the Junior Bookman's mistakes.

He stood up and walked over to his closet, an idea formulating within the confines of his mind. "Hey Walker, you should put your coat on."

"Huh?" Allen got up on unsteady legs and balanced himself out before shooting Link with a puzzled look. "What do I need my coat for?"

"I'm gonna walk you home."

Allen opened his mouth as if to say something, then shut it and started fidgeting with his under shirt collar. "A-aren't you just going to drive me as usual?"

"It's not that far," Link kept his same straight faced attitude, but inside he was starting to feel a bit squeamish. "What, like a mile? That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"B-but it's cold out! And you have to walk all the way back, right? And it's almost nine…"

"Walker." Link stepped up to his date and put a hand on his shoulder, making both males visibly tense up. "Let's go break some rules, ok?"

Allen was still wearing the same confused expression, but complied nonetheless and slipped into his tan trench coat which Link had fetched for him. The blonde put his own black coat on and, upon rethinking, grabbed his scarf for Allen and started to put it on him.

"Link this is yours…"

"I know…"

"Do you have another one?"

"No, but I'll be able to handle it, don't worry about me."

"But Link-"

"Shh." He finished applying the scarf and patted Allen's chest. "You're the one who said we should do more, right? Well it's my responsibility as the older one to come up with these things and make sure they go down without you getting sick or hurt. I don't want you to catch cold, so just take the scarf, ok?"

Allen's face blared red and Link was sure he was mirroring the action, yet he didn't reflect on it for he had to go back and get some gloves.

"Your left hand gets really sensitive around this time of year, right?" Of course he was referring to Allen's strangely deformed left arm, which the younger always seemed to have a self conscious problem with. He didn't really see anything wrong with it; for him it was a part of Allen, and anything having to do with Allen was simply, dare he think it, beautiful.

He retrieved the gloves and brought them back to his younger partner, fitting them onto each hand with care until Allen pulled his left one back sharply.

"You don't have to go through the trouble…"

"Does it hurt?" Link asked, afraid he might have offended Allen.

"N-no… You just… don't have to touch it if you don't want to…" Allen looked away and grimaced. "I know it's weird so…"

"What was it you were saying about weirdos coming together and sharing mutual weirdness or something like that?" The blonde gently grabbed the sophomore's left hand once more and proceeded to apply the second glove securely. "There's nothing wrong with it. I don't have a problem with it, so really this isn't a big deal to me." He kept up his usual façade even though his innards were starting to bubble up in embarrassment. It was hard for him to compliment people or point their good qualities out loud… It just wasn't something he was used to, but with Allen he felt it necessary to make sure the white headed boy knew he wasn't just some insignificant speck.

They walked outside and almost instantly they were stopped beyond the door by the view that awaited them. It was passed nine at this point on a late November evening which brought the sky to a dim indigo-red shade. Surrounding Link's apartment lay almost three inches of snow on the ground, settling quietly down upon all the cars, roads, and rooftops. The air was brittle and almost no sound could be heard anywhere except the light whistling of gentle wind whispering over the town. They both stood completely silent for a moment, taking in the frigid wonderland that had accumulated over the past few hours that they had been inside.

"It's so pretty…" Allen mumbled, his breath showing up in front of him for a brief second before evaporating into thin air.

"Yeah…" Link whispered back.

Allen tugged lightly on his own coat edge and faced Link, "It's pretty cold out here… Maybe we should drive anyways…?"

The blonde buttoned up the last of his own coat before inquiring, "Are you cold, Walker?"

"N-no! I want to walk… but for you…"

"I'm plenty warm enough, and driving in these conditions would be more dangerous anyways. If it's cold for you, I can give up my coat as well-"

"Don't do that!" Allen interrupted and waved his arms like he had before. "It's not cold at all for me, I was just thinking about you and…"

"W-well don't worry about me…"

They both stayed quiet and stared at each other for a minute, neither being able to tell if the other was blushing or just turning red from the frosty cold.

"We should go. I wouldn't want your uncle to get mad because I brought you home late." Link made for the stairs that reached to the ground below and looked back to his partner. "You coming?"

"Cross doesn't know we're dating…"

"Probably better we keep it that way for a while…"

"Yeah…"

Allen followed after and they both descended the steps with purposeful distance between them. It didn't last for too long though, for once at the bottom, Link waited for Allen to come down and took his left hand to cup it in his right. Allen almost jerked his hand back again, but appeared to be trying to get used to Link's most recent affection for it.

"Link you shouldn't."

"Do you want to hold hands or not?"

Allen puffed his cheeks and glanced away. "I do…"

"Then I should." His heart started ramming in his chest, though his face wouldn't give that away. He really wanted to take care of Allen and prove to the younger student that he was willing to give up some of his more strict qualities if it meant keeping him by his side. He could almost feel Allen's accelerated pulse through the glove and they ended up standing around for a minute before actually setting off.

Their feet made little crunching noises in the perfect snowy sheet, imprints of their shoes the only trace being left behind. Every now and then a car could be heard, though outside of that quiet breezes and feet crunching were the only breaks in silence. Link felt the hand that wasn't holding Allen's begin to get cold and put it into his pocket, seeking temporary relief until the cold seeped into his coat. He looked over at Allen, watching as the younger's face started to redden more as the temperature slowly began to noticeably drop. He stopped them both for a minute to adjust Allen's hood so the scarf went around it and no snow could come to be on top of the boy's head or get into his coat.

"Let me know if you're cold, ok?"

"I'm not cold though…"

"Let me know if you are." Link chided sternly. No way in hell he'd let Lavi pin on him that in his first attempt to romance Allen he'd gotten the boy sick. "I'm serious, Walker."

"ok, ok! I promise. If I'm cold, I'll tell you."

"Good."

They continued on for another ten minutes or so before Allen interrupted the frozen quiet. "Hey Link?"

"Hm?"

"I um… I really like…" He broke off and mumbled something into the scarf.

"Walker I didn't catch that…"

"I really like… H-holding hands… with you…"

Link felt his heart skip a beat and he almost froze up completely on the spot. At this point he was sure the red painting his face was from nervousness and not just from the surrounding air. "O-oh…"

"Oh?"

"I-I mean…" _Come on, Howard Link. You're the oldest here, you're supposed to have it together!_ "I um… I really… enjoy it as well… W-with you I mean… Hand holding…"

He felt Allen get closer and hook his arm around his. They were a bit more cozy now, their foot steps looking like that of some weird four legged creature's which had been captured by the snow.

He didn't want to admit it right now, but the feeling of Allen being so close to him almost made him want to move away. Not out of dislike, he just didn't know if he was taking it too fast or… For once he was asking himself what Lavi would do, then instantly shook his head of he unpleasant answers that filled it. He decided to accept the arm holding, since Allen was the one who instigated it, and therefore probably didn't have a problem with it. It felt kind of good… The warmth coming off Allen's body and through his coat was making its way into his own, upping the heat for both individuals.

"Link?"

"Yes, Walker?"

"Does it matter…? That we're weird?"

Link gave his younger partner's arm a reassuring squeeze. "No. As long as we care about each other, than what other people think doesn't really matter."

"You care about me…?"

Both males halted in their tracks as Link locked up and focused Allen in a disbelieving stare. "O-of course I do!"

"But I must seem so immature to you…" Allen looked down to his feet and hung his head. "I'm so young compared to you… Don't you ever see me as a little kid or something like that…?"

The older blonde grabbed both of Allen's shoulders and looked him dead on. "I've never thought of you as a kid! Age has nothing to do with maturity, Walker. That Lavi friend of yours is three years older than you and he doesn't have a single toe worth of the maturity you have." He took in a breath, feeling the frigid air hit his lungs and sting a little. "But your maturity isn't what matters to me…"

He felt Allen's hand wrap tighter around his. The boy was looking him straight in the eyes at this point and he almost felt a bit intimidated by those silver-violet irises. "Link.."

"W-what…?"

"I-I'll tell you when we get to my house…"

Link nodded and the two continued their trek.

The snow started to pick up as they went on, their views limited to only a few feet in front of their faces. Link started to worry about the walk back home, knowing that his coat was already starting to give out and without any gloves his hands would freeze. Maybe once he got Allen safely inside he could ask for his scarf and gloves back… It would still be troublesome. With only the light from occasional streetlights as his guide and the snow picking up in intensity every few minutes he really was quite dreading the long journey back to his warm apartment.

It was worth it in the end though. He'd gotten to hold hands with Allen, and they had spoken more closely during this walk than during most of their privacy moments in his house. Usually they interacted as two mildly associated acquaintances. Keeping their distance, constricting their conversations only to business or matters of importance, every now and then indulging on a topic of gossip. But it was hardly foundations for a relationship… He could understand Allen's frustration at his own incredibly old fashioned way of doing things. To him though, he didn't want to touch Allen yet. Well… He _did_, but he wanted to wait until the proper moment. He didn't want to dirty Allen or his purity by kissing him or getting in his space too much… Those things could wait until Allen decided when they should occur, and once he became legal. As their relationship stood, it was simply against the law for a twenty year old to date a fifteen year old. Link wasn't normally one to break the law, but he wanted to have an opportunity to catch Allen before someone else did, and so far he was winning. That didn't mean he was going to take his rebellion to any extremes though… Under aged was still under aged, and even this simple act of him holding Allen's hand as a couple was strictly speaking illegal. But he had to do something to appease the lack of affection he was giving to his partner… Allen was still a teenager, and teenagers aren't necessarily known for their control over their hormones. Not that Allen was some kind of porn crazed delinquent, but he most likely still had desires and urges, of which he probably shared with that abomination of a friend of his, Lavi Bookman Junior.

If there was ever an opposite to Howard Link, he felt that Lavi Bookman fit the bill pretty perfectly. Link always felt that if someone disliked you, you shouldn't associate with them. The Junior Bookman, however, took someone's dislike of him as a challenge and would force himself upon people until they were either driven to hang out with him or pushed to insanity. Link felt that relationships should hold some sort of meaning and not be tempered with unless both sides agree, in which Lavi had a habit of sleeping around and not being able to last more than two weeks with the same partner. In Link's opinion he was a bad influence on Allen and filled his head with doubts about their dating relationship, of which Link thought it was really none of that accursed red head's business and he should just butt out. Whether he liked it or not though, he was Allen's friend, which meant that for Allen's sake he'd put up with him and try to be civil in his presence.

It had taken them about forty minutes through the cold and increasingly persistent snow, but finally they had made it back to Allen's uncle's house. There was no truck in the drive way, which meant the other accursed red head in Link's life was out as he usually was, probably taking to spending the night at some woman's house or passed out drunk in some bar.

The two walked up to the door, still holding hands until Allen had to reach into his pocket to pull the keys out. He fiddled with the knob for a few seconds before a click could be heard and the door swung inwards. The younger male stepped inside his home and stomped his feet on the matt, then walked further in and let the door close behind him.

Link stood awkwardly outside, not sure if Allen was coming back to say goodbye or not. If not, he'd be disappointed, but there wasn't really much he could do. He stood for about a full minute rubbing his arms and breathing in the frigid air until he decided Allen wasn't coming back and he'd go home without a farewell. Just then he heard the door open behind him, and a coatless Allen threw him a puzzled glance.

"Aren't you going to come in?"

Link blinked for second before replying, "Y-You… Want me to come in?"

"Yeah.."

"Inside your house…?"

"You've been here before…"

"But never this late…"

Allen leaned against the door frame and huffed, his air crystalizing before fading out of visibility. "Why don't you just stay the night then?"

Link's mouth dropped open and kept it like that until he noticed the face he was probably pulling and promptly shut it. "I can't do something like that! It's improper…"

"Why is it improper?" Allen was now wearing a face of impatience. "Just come in, you can sleep on the couch."

"What if Cross comes home? I really don't want to risk anything…"

"I'll just tell him you're my friend from school. He's seen Lavi spend the night here before, so really it's no big deal." Allen let out another huff and rubbed his arms. "If you don't come in I'm gonna stand here and catch a cold just to spite you."

"You wouldn't dare." The blonde growled. He was getting cold himself; more and more the warm of Allen's house was looking quite appealing.

"Get in here, stupid." The white haired teen pulled his partner through the frame and shut the door behind them, taking time afterwards to remove Link's snow-covered coat and put it in a small closet.

Link wasn't really sure what to do in this situation… Here he was, over at Allen's place at almost ten o clock at night, invited to spend the night… He rubbed the back of his neck and took in the Walker/Marion residence.

He'd been here twice before, but Cross had only been there one of the times. This one chance meeting had set up a quota for Link to try and avoid Cross every time he visited. The man was an unpleasant drunk with a fierce temper and an abusive hold over Allen. He could recall a few times where Allen had come to school last year with big bruises on his arms or legs, one time even a split lip that he had had to stitch up and care for so it wouldn't be infected. The one time he and Cross had been in the same building ended in disaster, Cross too plastered to probably even remember who Link was, Link so angry he didn't care that Cross was Allen's uncle, all he wanted to do was murder him.

"You can make yourself comfortable." Allen called from the kitchen. Link heard a few dishes and such being moved around, but didn't think to investigate it further. The younger must had turned the heat on, for a pleasant difference in temperature was soon beginning to settle. He removed his boots and wandered over to the living room to take note of the needlessly large fireplace.

"Hey, is this safe to use?"

"What?"

"This fireplace." Link pointed to said location as Allen poked his head out.

"Yeah it works just fine! We had it running like two nights ago. Knock yourself out."

Allen dodged back into the kitchen as Link attempted to locate some firewood. The state the house was in was one of utter disarray, clothes and objects strewn across the floor or table tops, the walls were dusty and unkept, and an impressive collection of whine bottles made home where ever it was Cross felt like dropping them when he was done. He knew it wasn't Allen leaving all these messes, for he had seen the boy's room and it was actually quite tidy. Allen had told him the first time he came over that he used to actually attempt to clean up every now and then, but Cross was so persistent in his right to weigh down his nephew that the dirtiness increased ten fold. Allen had eventually just given up and now only cleaned around holidays or when he his other Uncle was coming to town, which only happened once every few years.

He found what he was looking for though, under a pile of tent covers (Why they were even inside the house, he had no idea. Cross hated the outdoors). A dry pile of good wood, though a bit too cob-webby for his taste. He wasn't a big fan of spiders and when they came around he usually had to call Allen in to take care of it. One time he had managed to trap one under a glass cup, then drove the mile or so to Allen's house just to pick him up and bring him over to deal with the nasty arachnid. It wasn't something he was proud of, this irrational fear of spiders, mostly because it was exactly as it was named. Irrational. Link was a man of logic and wasn't usually afraid of anything, or so he liked to think, but spiders got to him for some reason. Something about a creature with eight legs just seemed…. _Barbaric_.

He carefully lifted the first one and to his relief there were no bugs of concern hiding away. So far. Luckily Allen wasn't far off so if he needed help he could holler without too much trouble. He grabbed some kindling and aligned two large logs among them in a sort of tent-like fashion to make room for the oxygen to move through the fire to give it life. He located what appeared to be unimportant pieces of newspaper, things like comics, sports, etc., and tore them to his favorable size so that they would start up the flames he lit long enough to catch, then eventually the main logs. He closed the chain metal screen and got up to go see what Allen was working on.

The kitchen was one of the other very few places in this house that stayed in order. Mostly because it was Allen's territory. The kid could eat more in one sitting than Link would be able to down in a week, which gave rise to why Allen already had a job simply to raise money to feed himself despite the state not being allowed to give out jobs until people were sixteen or older. It made it difficult for the two to see each other sometimes, what with Allen also having friends of his own, which Link thought was important for him to have. He deeply cared about Allen. And if he could spend every waking minute with him he would, but he would never want to smother the younger student or drive away his social life so he kept his distance. Plus he wasn't very popular with Allen's group… He shook his head and tried not to think about it.

Allen turned around as soon as he heard Link enter and gave the older blonde a winning grin.

"You like hot chocolate, right? That's a dumb question… you like all things sweet." The boy laughed to himself and brought over a hot mug, placing it in Link's hands. "Sorry we don't have any marshmallows… I haven't been able to go out and luxury shop for a while…"

"Don't worry about it." Link waved his hand in dismissal. "Thanks… for uh…. Letting me come in and all…"

"Like I'm gonna let you walk home in that." Allen looked to the window and Link followed suit, noticing how the snow was now rushing down, no longer lightly drifting as it had earlier. The older looked back to Allen, making a mental note on how the younger boy seemed a lot more comfy around him right now. They were kind of a tight wired pair, neither making any moves without the other's consent, but also both were too worried to bring anything up with the other. That was until tonight when Allen voiced his opinions clearly and Link took evasive action.

Allen moved to the couch and beckoned Link to come with him, moving some materials of questionable origin out of the way before plunking down. Link stood for a minute, thinking over whether he should sit on the cushion next to Allen or put one in between them in case he was getting too invasive. Allen cocked his head to one side and gave him a perplexed look.

"You can sit down you know…"

"I-I know… But where…?"

"On the couch, dummy."

"I-I know that… but… _where_…?"

Allen knitted his eyebrows together and patted the cushion beside him. "How about here?"

Link's eyes widened and he made sure to check twice before actually situating himself so close to Allen. The couch was comfy enough, though a bit dirty in Link's opinion. He mentally got over it though, knowing that this was where he was going to sleep tonight anyways.

A thought brought him back to reality though, remembering something Allen had said back when they were trudging through the snow.

"Oi… Walker…"

"Hmm?"

"You said you'd… tell me something. When we got to your house…"

"Oh.."

"Do you still want to or…?"

He watched Allen nervously glance around the room before bringing that silver-violet gaze back to him. "I um… Can I ask you something…? Without you getting mad..?"

Link swallowed hard and did his best not to avert his eyes from Allen's. "Sure… I won't get mad…"

"Promise…?"

_What on earth could this possibly be..?_ "P-promise…"

The younger male looked down to his feet as they shuffled nervously on the stain covered carpet below. He practically wrapped himself around his hot chocolate before mumbling something incoherent.

"Walker… I can't hear you…"

"I was wondering… If maybe I could… hug you… or something…" Allen's face was a bright pink shade, and seeing how they weren't getting frost bitten anymore it could only be from frazzled nerves.

Link wasn't in much of a better state though. He could feel his heart hammering against his rib cage as though it wanted to break free. This was a lot better than expected though… He was afraid Allen was going to tell him some dire secret that would change the basis of their relationship… But a hug? He could do a hug. Maybe…

"I-if you want to… B-but you don't have to push yourself! I mean, I really wouldn't mind but… Um… God damn…" He greeted his face with the palm of his hand and let out a frustrated groan. "I'm an idiot around you. You know that?"

Allen laughed out loud, sending pleasant chills down Link's spine. He looked up to see Allen doubled over, cackling away as though he'd been told the greatest joke of all time. Another shot to his pride made him grimace at his date and try to defend himself."

"Hey you… It wasn't even that funny…"

"No no…" Allen continued to giggle, holding his stomach and wiping a tear from his eye. "It was cute, haha, I've never seen you so… hahaha!"

Now Link was blushing and rubbing the back of his neck as he did when things got too awkward for him to handle. "I'm not… cute…"

Allen finally settled down and stopped laughing, assuming a more proper position of sitting upright with his fists balled up on his knees. "I…. think you are…"

Now they were both quiet. This seemed to happen to them a lot… Link couldn't handle this… He was twenty years old, had been dating Allen for four and a half months, and still got caught up in his own tongue just trying to talk to this kid who was five years younger than him. One would think a college student at the top of his class would be able to hold his own better… Apparently not.

He felt Allen's hand on his own, and turned to see his date looking up at him expectantly. _Damn…._ Allen was gorgeous… There was no other way to put it. Even for a boy he had the feminine waist and a rounded face… It was like looking at perfection. Even with the gnarly scar over his left cheek and the deformed arm… Those factors in themselves became perfection.

He put his arm around Allen's waist, feeling the warmth emanating from the younger's body. Allen placed both arms around Link's neck and he felt the boy's nose rub up on his neck. He stiffened for a moment, wondering if maybe this really was taking things too far, but gave up on such thoughts and placed his other arm around the back of Allen's shoulders. He inhaled, taking in the scent of Allen's hair and could hear his partner doing the same. The only noise he could hear over the crackling of the fire was Allen's breathing blowing gently against his ear. The breaths were smooth and even, unlike the erratic pattern he was trying to keep under control. It was just a hug, simple as that. But to him it was something much more… He wanted to be the only one to see Allen like this. He knew Allen gave his friend Lavi hugs all the time, though this one seemed more meaningful and deliberate. Allen released a seemingly satisfactory sigh, his nose whistling slightly and giving Link a minor chill.

If Link had his way he'd hold Allen like this until morning, when that dreaded Cross character returned and would undoubtedly ruin everything. Allen, however, decided after about five minutes he was done and took to leaning his head on Link's shoulder instead. They both retrieved their hot chocolate cups, which had been set down prior to their most recent display of affection, but Allen was the only one taking sips. Link's mouth felt dry and cottony… His entire body felt exhausted almost at just how nervous he was with that head on his shoulder… He tried to play it cool, act like it didn't mean anything… Unfortunately even the slightest touch from Allen set him on edge and after that more than friendly hug all his systems were spazzing out of control, making it more than a good deal of effort just to sit still and accept the closeness of his current situation. He even went so far as to put his arm around Allen's shoulder and give his arm a light rub… That is until Allen smiled at him and his mind sputtered blanks for the next ten minutes.

"Hey Link…"

"Hm?"

"I'm kind of tired…"

"Are you going to bed?"

"Yeah but…" Allen intertwined his left hand onto Link's, apparently becoming more comfortable with the older male touching the twisted appendage. "I was… wondering if maybe I could sleep down here… with you.."

"Absolutely not." Link deadpanned. There was no hesitation in his voice as he declared his dismissal. There was no way he and Allen could sleep in the same room, let alone on the same piece of furniture. That would be too much for him, and if it wasn't improper enough as it was with Allen suddenly wanting to be more touchy (which really, it was his own fault for leading his partner on, but still…), then sleeping in the same bubble of each other was out of the question.

Allen sighed and pouted. "You know we were doing so well…"

"Wait till you're sixteen." Honestly Link probably wouldn't even be ready by that time…

"But that's not until the end of December!"

"It's not that far away, I'm sure you can wait."

"So you're saying that once I turn sixteen, you and I can sleep on the same surface together?" The white haired teen raised an eye brow.

"I said no such thing…" Link coughed.

"But you said-!"

"I said nothing." The long haired blonde put himself into a position where he could look Allen in the face a bit better. "Don't you think you're speeding things up a bit fast?"

"Only because you've been lacking out on me for the past four months!" Allen retorted. His faced looked a bit angry now, and the grip he'd had on Link's hand had vanished. "We're not Amish, Link… We're allowed to do more than just talk to each other you know…"

"Is this what you've been thinking or what Lavi's been telling you?" The older of the two locked eyes with his younger partner. "I want you to do things because you want to, not because you're living up to the expectations of that Bookman."

Allen took a hurt expression and hung his head. "But Lavi says-"

"Lavi's not us." He reached up and ran a hand down the side of Allen's head, petting the snow white hair. "We can do things are own way, Allen. It's not up to him what he decide we want to do. Ok? I'll stay with you regardless."

Allen's face slowly turned up, a shocked expression occupying his features.

Link removed his hand from the boy and took a quick look behind him before coming back to Allen. "what?"

"You called me Allen…"

Link froze up and felt his heart stop within his chest. He had said 'Allen', hadn't he? He didn't notice when he'd been talking but… "S-so I did…"

Allen grinned and clapped his hands. "You called me Allen! And you didn't freeze up or throw up afterwards!"

"Shut it , you."

"Do it again."

Link felt his face flush and averted his partner's eyes with every fiber in his being. "D-do what again…?"

"Call me Allen."

"I…" He looked back for a second, seeing that expectant face and suddenly feeling his stomach fill with butterflies. "I can't…"

"But.." The pout returned and Allen touched Link's hand again, warmth pooling around where his palms made contact. "But you did it… You really did it… Why can't you do it again?"

"I didn't know I was doing it when I said it…" He was tripping over his words and trying to avert himself from yanking his hand from Allen's. There was a queasy feeling in his gut and could feel himself paling. He sucked at this… He sucked so bad… "I'm… I'm sorry…"

Allen frowned, making the older feel guilty and useless. "It's ok. I don't think I can call you… Well anything other than Link at the moment either…" The teen glanced up to his date inquisitively. "Does anyone call you by your first name?"

Link turned away and thought about it, knitting his eyebrows together until he replied with, "No… No one really… Everyone calls me Link."

"Or Two Spot." Allen giggled.  
Link bristled and growled lowly, "Don't you dare. That name is ridiculous and was made by that confounded red headed imbecile to mock me."

"You really don't like Lavi do you?"

"I get that he's your friend." Link heaved a breathy sigh and put a hand to his temple. "And I think you need him, he's not a bad person…. But as an individual I think he is irresponsible, disrespecting, and most of all I hate how he fills you with these ideas that your relationship with me needs to be just like the ones he has with all those now heart broken girls walking among your campus." He looked back to Allen, straight faced as he usually was and uttered, "He's a menace."

"Yeah I won't blame you for that one," Allen gave a nervous chuckle. "but he really does look out for me, and if it wasn't for him I would have never had the courage to start dating you."

"I was the one who asked you out…"

"But I was the one who said yes."

Allen brought his forehead forward against Link's, making the blonde mentally hyperventilate and visibly flush. _Too close.. Too close… Too close… Too close…_

"'Night, Link."

With that the fifteen year old got up and cocked a grin in Link's direction before walking upstairs. The college student sat there for a moment, still feeling Allen's touch fading from his forehead. He rubbed lightly at the spot, feeling dizzy with all the commotion the evening had bestowed upon him. It was a good step though. Allen was going to be turning sixteen next month, and with that he was going to be expecting Link to step it up a little to where they actually became a bit more open in their relationship. The blonde felt a lump in his throat. Honestly he just liked being with Allen… He'd never had any dates before so things more… physical… had a tendency to set him on edge… He mentally wacked himself. _Don't do anything you don__'__t want to. Walker will make moves on his own as soon as he stops listening to that Junior idiot. _Unfortunately he wasn't sure when Allen would start doing such things… Allen had known Lavi for a good year longer than he'd known Link, which made the two more close knit than he and his own date.

He sunk down to the couch and curled up, looking into the dying embers of the fire he had built. Sometimes his relationship with Allen proved to be incredibly stressful and nerve racking… But he was too proud to let the sophomore go. Allen was the only person he'd ever been romantically interested in, and probably the only person he'd be interested in for a long while to come. Allen had a darkness about him that Link felt he could relate to and possibly understand. Allen's personality still wasn't entirely honest with him, but he hoped that over time the boy would open up more and share things with him about his past that maybe Lavi didn't even know about.

He grit his teeth. That obscene red head… He was the cause of all of Allen's doubts. He hated Link, and Link hated him right back. The Junior Bookman would probably do anything to drive Link out of Allen's circle of friends, and if it wasn't for Allen's self right to judge his own characters the bloody one eye would have done just that.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, regardless of the knowledge that he wasn't going to be getting a good sleep this night. The discomfort of knowing Allen was upstairs at this moment laying down to rest… He shifted himself awkwardly. The thought of Allen coming down in the morning with mussed up hair and pajamas… _Link, cut it out, this isn't helping._

At last he felt himself drifting off, whether from exhaustion of walking around in the snow earlier or the heat coming off of the dwindling fire he wasn't sure. He wanted Allen. He'd already decided that. And no amount of troublesome red heads or other people's ideals were going to hold him back.

**Like, no like? It's not an incredibly popular pairing, but it's my favorite and I have a lot of feels for these two. Also I'm a fluff hound if you didn't see, so if fluff without hardcore porn drives you absolutely mad this may not be the best story for you XD **


	2. Chapter 2

**I was going to wait until Thursday or Friday to upload this... But I kinda wanted to do it now since I'm probably gonna be busy those two days ^^;  
**

**Once again, I'm new to this, so if you have any advice or things to offer me, I'd be very grateful :)**

****Chapter 2

Allen shivered under the covers, trying to snuggle down more comfortably into his fortress of cheap comforters and sheets. His bed was only a twin size, but since he was shorter than most of the boys in his class it wasn't really too bad. Faded gray light came streaming in through his worn down window curtains, forcing him out of bed to blink in the morning shine. He let out a yawn and crawled off the side of his mattress, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and trying to do something manageable with his hair. He was still in the same sweater and boxers as yesterday, not willing to change from the tire of walking home. He stopped mid-tracks and felt his stomach lurch.

That's right… Last night he and his partner, Link, had gone for a long trek through the snow together… The older male had even opted to hold onto his left hand the entire time… Allen felt heat flush to his face and he self consciously grabbed onto his disfigured arm. He couldn't understand Link sometimes. Last night the man had gone through all the trouble of walking Allen in the snow and even letting the sophomore get a hug in, but had immediately refused Allen's wish to sleep on the couch together… One minute the college student was a hopeless romantic, the next he was a fifties styled gentlemen who didn't even want to touch Allen. It was all very confusing, and even a little stressful at times. But deep down in his heart of hearts, Allen knew he really liked Link. The blonde was a great help, and though socially awkward, he always seemed to try and put his younger partner before himself.

_Speaking of Link…_ Allen rushed downstairs, still in boxers and shirt (on purpose of course) and flew into the living room. He looked to the couch, only to find that Link had at some point gotten up and walked home judging by the lack of his boots at the door. He felt his heart sink a little. He'd really wanted to greet Link in the morning for the first time.. Wake him up and smile at him and cook him breakfast or something… But no. Of course Link wouldn't have stayed until Allen woke up. That would be _improper._ Allen sighed and flopped down on the couch, feeling a pit in his stomach that wasn't caused by hunger alone. He ran his hand along the couch cushions and pet the once soft fabric until he came across a piece of paper. He was about to flick it, as he did with most things that ended up on the couch, but upon inspecting it the paper happened to be an envelope with his name on it.

He opened it carefully, wondering how old it might be. Things weren't picked up often around this house thanks to Cross and his horrible habits. Inside was a neatly folded paper with what Allen recognized as Link's hand writing. He blinked and straightened it out, reading over the contents it contained:

_Dear Walker,_

_I'm sorry I had to leave early this morning, but school still continues for me even if it doesn't for you and my studying's been busy as of late. I promise to make it up to you at some point though. Tomorrow night I'll make reservations and take you out to dinner unless you have other plans. I know you have tomorrow night off after school and we've never really gone out before. If I was too forward last night I apologize, I was simply trying to fulfill your wishes that you verbalized earlier. Thank you for letting me inhabit your house last night and I hope you will accept my invitation so I may see you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Link._

_Still doesn't sign things off with his first name…_ Allen noted. Link had something against his first name.. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but no one ever called the man Howard. Maybe it was because Link thought it embarrassing or other wise, but the one time Allen had attempted calling Link by first name his partner had asked him politely if he'd never do it again.

Allen read the letter over again, feeling a squeamish wiggle in his belly at the thought of publicly going out to dinner with his "boyfriend". He wrinkled his nose. Boyfriend was such an awkward word. He had taken up Link's way of using the word "partner" finding it a bit more close and not so dramatic sounding. He had started to drift into his own thoughts when a knock at the door made him jump and drop the letter.

He rose off the couch and cleared the area from the couch to the door, almost tripping over one of Cross's accursed whine bottles. Despite his boxers he answered anyways, feeling an unpleasant shiver overcome his body as a frozen breeze invited itself in. At the door was standing his one eyed red headed friend, Lavi Bookman Junior, the one Link claimed to dislike so much. Allen could understand why, Link was entirely obsessed with being proper and public visuals, Lavi was more carefree and didn't dwell on the fact that he might be offensive to some people.

"Yo! What's shaking, Allen?"

"Me r-right now if you don't c-close the door stupid!" Allen stammered as his knees started hammering together due to the frigid air from outside.

"Oh! Sorry, bro!" Lavi stepped in and removed his boots, wearing that big and goofy grin that never seemed to leave his face. "So how'd everything go? You explain what you talked to me about with that Sour Puss Two Spot?"

Allen walked over to the couch and retook his seat, grabbing the pillow Link must have used the night before and hugging it to him. He brought his face down to it and inhaled slowly, relishing in the lingering scent Link left on it. "He ended up walking me home…"

"What?" Lavi sat down next to his younger friend and gave him a disbelieving look. "After you asked him to step it up, he just walked you home?"

"No, no!" Allen brought himself up from his pillow moment and laughed nervously. "Like, in a kind of sweet way…"

"Al, it was snowing like a blizzard last night…" Lavi deadpanned.

"He made sure I was warm though! He let me borrow his scarf and gloves; he was very keen on making sure I wasn't cold." The sophomore found himself smiling lightly and blushing into the oh so very interesting pillow he still hadn't let go of.

"So that's it. He just walked you home. What, and then after he went back without even a goodnight kiss I'm guessing?"

"Actually he stayed over…"

"What?" Lavi's smile turned into something devious and he brought his face up Allen's. "No way. You and Link…?"

"Me and Link… what?" Allen scooted back a little, not understanding the other's tone.

"You know." Lavi got up and made a weird hip motion, and when Allen still didn't get it he rolled his eye and proclaimed, "Sex, Allen!"

"Oh… OH!" At this point he ended up throwing the pillow off of him and shaking his head sporadically. "No! No, no, no! Dear GOD no…" Allen put a hand to his chest and tried to calm the shaky breathing that had just come to make home in his lungs. "We just held hands and talked…"

"Held hands."

"Yeah, it was actually really nice…"

"He didn't kiss you goodnight, or anything."

"Well… no…" Allen stuck out his lip, but then retrieved his pillow and giggled into it. "But… he let me hug him…"

By this time Lavi was wearing a face that couldn't be read, but Allen was assuming it was disapproving. The red head threw up his arms and let out a frustrated groan. "I've tried, Lord! God knows I've tried!" After that he turned back to his friend. "You're getting all excited about a hug? Allen, you're not in grade school anymore. Hugging, holding hands, kisses on the cheek, that's kid's stuff!" He put a finger to his chin in mock thought. "What on earth kind of background must Two Spot have had to be so damned brittle? The guy's older than I am and seems to lack experience in pretty much everything."

"Well he hasn't really told me about his background yet…"

"He hasn't?" Lavi blinked. "You guys have been dating for almost a half year now, and he won't even tell you his history? That's sketch, man. Way sketch."

"Well to be fair I haven't really told him anything about me either…" Allen defended.

"Not even about Mana and stuff?"

Allen hugged his pillow close to him and stuck his nose in it, finding comfort in his partner's remaining musk. "I mean… he knows that Mana was my dad and that he died… but that's it…"

"So almost as much as much as I know."

"I don't like talking about it."

Lavi slapped his hands down on his knees and leaned back into the couch, flashing a signature smile at Allen. "Alright! Enough about sad topics! What else did Sir Romantic Two Spot do last night?"

"Well he… told me he cared about me…"

"Did he say he loved you…?" The Junior boy was now staring down at Allen wide eyed, wearing an expectant expression.

"N-no…" Allen blushed. "I don't think either of us are really even close to there yet, Lavi… But he told me he thought I was mature and that he cared about me…"

Lavi deflated and covered his face with his hand. "Allen, you're killing me here! Give me something good! Like a kiss, or a cheesy line! Something other than this fluffy bullcrap!"

Allen puffed out his cheeks and narrowed his eyes in Lavi's direction. "H-hey I really liked all that stuff…. Except… He wouldn't let me sleep on the couch with him…"

"Wait a second, did you offer?"

"Yeah…"

"Did you offer clearly?"

"Very much so, yes…"

"And he refused."

"Yeah."

Lavi dropped his face down into his palm and shook his head. "I really don't know what you see in the guy. He's stuck up, snobby, arrogant, and worst of all he's raised up by that hoity toity Leverrier family. The only thing I really see in you liking about him is maybe if you're after him cuz he's rich, but that seems way out of character for you so…"

"Him having money has nothing to do with it." Allen declared. It was true, compared to the rest of his friends, even to Lavi who was fairly well off and could always afford the new gadgets, Link was still way ahead of them in finances. He was supported by an incredibly famous family that was paying for his education and living expenses so they could train him up to be their lawyer, or that's what Link had told him. In reality, Link hated talking about his money. From what it looked like the older blonde thought it rude to wave around one's cash just because it existed. Though whenever Allen saw something in a store and made a verbal wish to be able to afford it, and Link just happened to be there… Occasionally the very item he was looking at would end up on his door step, package wrapped and without any trace as to who sent it. It always just read "To Walker" and nothing else, but he had a fairly good hunch about who it came from. After about three instances of it happening, he stopped lingering on objects whenever shopping with Link, wanting his partner to be spending his money on more important things.

"Ok, if it's not money, then what is it? Cuz I really can't stand the guy to be frank with you."

"Well he's not too fond of you either so I guess it only makes sense…" Allen sighed. He really wished his best friend and his boyfriend (what a sissy word) could get along, but seeing how they were two complete polar opposites, he resigned with the idea that maybe he was asking too much out of the two. "If I had to put it into exact words…" He trailed off, not really knowing where to go next.

"Exact words…" Lavi rolled his hand, meaning for Allen to go on.

"He's smart… And he's always honest… Even if sometimes I hate the answer he doesn't lie to me just to be more appealing. He's completely real with me, unlike a lot of people who I feel just put up with me… That's why when he says things like he cares about me or he praises me, it means a lot more because it's not hollow or bloated with falsity…" Allen took a deep breath from the pillow, leaning back on the couch, similar to his friend. "I really like him, Lavi, even if he's not the popular choice."

The red head smirked and let out a short snort. "Well if you like him, you like him, and I'll support you all the way, alright buddy?" Allen felt a hearty hand pat his back and he smiled back, knowing that it was probably killing Lavi to see Allen in a relationship with the one person he'd given up on getting along with. Lavi had even somehow gotten into Kanda's willing circle of friends, which still amazed Allen since the stuck up Japanese man didn't get along with anyone.

"Thanks Lavi. And if you must know, he actually asked me out to dinner tomorrow after I get off school."

Lavi jumped off the couch and threw his arms up in excitement. "So Two Spot does have some balls!" He ruffled Allen's hair, irritating the younger for a moment before continuing, "Good for you, pal!"

Allen chuckled momentarily before his stomach let out a ferocious gurgling sound. "Speaking of food…" He pushed himself from the couch and headed to the kitchen, only now remembering that he needed breakfast.

"I think I'll just chill over here. Wouldn't want to get in Allen's way when he's hungry." Lavi saluted his friend and plunked down on the couch, searching for the TV remote. Allen watched the red head search around for a bit before he was thrown a look of panic. "Al… where the hell is your TV..?"

"Sold it." He replied, still rummaging around for bacon._ It's in here somewhere…_

"You SOLD your TV?" Apparently this was a great cause for concern because Lavi was risking his self safety by trifling with Allen when he wasn't fed. "Why would you do something like that?"

"Cross did it." Allen mumbled through a cheese stick he had located. Better to get something in his stomach than let it continue tearing at him like it was. "He's built up yet another impossible stream of debts for the household."

"Even though your other uncle paid all of them off those years back?"

"Even then."

"Hey, who is this other uncle anyhow?" Lavi stepped in, grabbed an apple and bit into it, being paid a lovely glare by Allen. "Don't worry, I'll get you another one, ok?"

"You better." The sophomore had collected a great bunch of foods at this point, most to cook, and about a quarter of it to snack on until the main event was ready. "He's kind of an odd one… I guess him and Mana were kind of the black sheep of their family…"

"And what family might this be?"

Allen shrugged. "I dunno… Haven't met most of them to be honest. They're referred to as the Noah family I think, though none of them carry that name anymore. One too many daughters before the last generation I guess. "

"Oh I've heard of them…" Lavi muffled through another bite of apple. "They're kind of like the Leverriers where they collect talented students and train them to work for their benefit… You're related to them?"

"Vaguely. I've only met Mana and his brother though. No one else… Apparently my uncle got into a spat with the head of the family… Something about wanting to pursue music instead of medical school or some other high end occupation…."

"That why he's never around?"

"And why he dumped me here with Cross." Allen grimaced. He had a fondness for his illusive uncle, he really did…. And he understood why the last remaining family member he knew of was never able to raise him. But there would always be that feeling of resentment on how he'd gotten stuck with Cross, abusive, alcoholic and unpleasant as he was, and not able to travel around with his kinder, more understanding, and much less homophobic uncle.

Allen started cooking his food while simultaneously snacking on a left over rib from one of the past dinners Cross had brought home and never finished. He heard Lavi take yet another crunch and continue his digging into the mystery of Allen's other uncle. "So he pursued music, that's what you said right?"

"Yep."

"He any good?"

"I'd say he's fairly good.." He averted Lavi's eyes, not wanting to spill everything to the mouthy red head just yet.

"He'd have to be to be capable of paying off Cross's debts even just once through." Lavi let out a laugh and threw his core away, apparently becoming less amused at Allen's quiet ignoring of his loud friend. "You ok there, buddy?"

"Yeah." He really was fine, his mind was just on other things. He thought about Link's letter and the idea of going out on a public date with the man. Link had always told Allen that everything public had to wait until he was sixteen, because otherwise such actions could get Link arrested or thrown into jail… It was one of the many reasons they had only shared their secret with a very few select people, being that of Lavi, Kanda (he found out, Allen never told him a thing),Lenalee, and Allen's other Uncle just so he had someone he could confide in (Very rarely they were able to call and talk to each other). These were the only people Allen felt he could truly trust, with the exception of Kanda who just seemed to become included into everything against the white haired teen's will. There was no way he could tell Cross about it, since the ferocious drunk owned a gun and a terrifying personality, and Link told Allen Leverrier could never find out because the man was obsessively catholic and would throw the twenty year old college student out of his financial care for such injustice against God. These factors probably also fed Link's theory of taking things incredibly slow, because if they were going to risk everything they might as well know for sure that this was what they wanted. So by taking Allen out, Link was most likely taking a huge risk, so regardless of it being a date or not their behavior would have to be observed as completely platonic by an outside onlooker.

He flipped an egg, listening to the sizzle and popping sound it made which only worsened his mouth's watering. He realized he was probably being a boring host right now and turned to Lavi. "Hey if you want there's some hot chocolate mix over in that cupboard if you want to make yourself some."

Lavi threw a goofy grin and winked (or so it appeared to Allen… sometimes he didn't think Lavi understood that he only had one eye…). He marched over to the cupboards and threw them open in a dramatic fashion, giving the contents a stern looking through. "Yo, Al…"

"Hmm?" He was putting the final touches to his breakfast of champions, and wasn't much interested in anything other than cramming it all down his throat and into his stomach.

"Do you know if Two Spot's taking you to that winter dance thing at our school?" The red head got a mug and started working on making himself some of the cocoa Allen and Link had shared the night before. "Cuz you know, you probably still want to go to school dances and stuff, right?"

Allen stiffened up, dropping one of the capers he was placing on a bagel in the process. He hadn't even thought about it… The obvious choice was just to not go and avoid any awkward contact or public opinions… But deep down he really wanted to dance with Link, maybe see a side of the older male he wouldn't show anyone else…

"P-probably not…" Allen stammered. He tried to avoid looking at Lavi and took instead to making a dent in the massive amount of food he had prepared.

"But it's in January, you'll be sixteen by then, won't you?" Lavi cocked his head, taking a sip of cocoa and giving Allen an expectant look.

"Doesn't really matter how old I am… Two guys dancing amongst a bunch of judgmental teenagers doesn't really sound like a good idea. Besides I don't even think dances are Link's thing…"

"But if you want to go he should suck it up and take you!" At this point the older boy had his hand on his hip and was giving Allen a look of concern. "If he cares about you so much, as he claims, than he should make sacrifices to go and do stuff with you, just like how you're sacrificing a good part of your adolescence to him."

"It's not about whether or not I want to go…" Allen place the bacon strip he was about to devour down and looked down to the floor. "It's just not safe… If people find out we're dating, word might get to Cross or Leverrier and then me and Link would be separated and he'd probably be moved somewhere else. Not only that, but there are some kids in our school who don't look positively on the whole homosexual thing and we'd be putting ourselves in direct danger." Allen felt his chest tighten, knowing from personal experience that some people (two in particular) were not always so friendly about the non-heterosexual deal…

Lavi frowned and ruffled Allen's hair. "Sounds like you're putting a lot of stress on yourself for just this one guy…"

"But I really, really like him, Lavi… I don't feel this way about any one else I've ever met." The younger leaned back and felt the heaviness in his chest increasing. "It's frustrating… Having to wait and keep this all a secret and avoid being seen as a couple but… It's really worth it. Every moment with him I just… I don't know… It's nice… or something…" Talking romance with Lavi was pointless; this was one of the many things Allen had learned about him over the last nearly two years. Lavi saw relationships as evil things that held people back, which made him kind of a crappy advice giver. It occurred to him that maybe he should talk to Lenalee more…

"Whatever you say bro." Lavi shrugged and headed back into the living room.

The high school senior didn't stay for too much longer, he claimed to have work from his grandfather to do and could only stay around for another thirty minutes. It was honestly fine by Allen. Lavi was his best friend and he enjoyed the guy's company, but after a while he became exhausting and he could kind of see where Link had a problem with him.

After Lavi left Allen went upstairs and locked himself in his room, not taking notice when he saw Cross's truck pull up and heard a number of crashing sounds take place down stairs. He went onto his computer and blogged for a while before getting bored and deciding to lose himself in his own thoughts instead. Link… He checked the time, wondering if Link was out of classes yet. The older male had taken up morning and early afternoon classes so he could still be on par with Allen's schedule. It meant a lot to Allen, especially since he knew Link was not known for his morning personality.

The rest of that day was spent in a similar fashion. Going on the computer, avoiding the hell out of Cross, thinking of Link… He started to feel a bit nervous about going on a dinner date with his partner…

The next day at school wasn't much better for him. Classes were hard to focus on, and all of Lavi's lame jokes fell on distracted ears during lunch.

"Yo, Al, you could at least pretend to think it's funny."

"Except your jokes fucking suck." Kanda drawled out. Allen wasn't even aware Kanda was part of the conversation…

"Sorry, Lavi it's just… things…"

"Like tonight and your D-A-T-E?" Lavi spelled out each letter and Allen blushed furiously before punching the red head in the shoulder.

"K-keep it down, would ya?"

"Are you and Link going out tonight?" Lenalee questioned. She was a pretty good looking girl, at least from what Allen could judge of women, who pulled off the childish pigtails look with a grace no one else seemed to be able to accomplish.

"Something like that…" Allen mumbled into his jacket. The idea of going out to dinner with Link was still eating at him, and it didn't help that Link hadn't called or texted him since the day before which meant he wasn't even sure if their plans were still on… Would it be a fancy place? If so, what would he wear..? Should he eat beforehand to avoid racking up Link's dinner bill?

"Well I hope everything goes well for you!" She smiled sweetly at him and in that moment Allen almost wanted to give her a huge hug. She was the only one who hadn't given him any grief about accepting Link's proposal, and the only one who was ever really helpful… Sure Lavi's bullheaded advice worked that night when Link had come over, but other than that he just kind of sassed about Link and his incapabilities with Allen.

"Kay guys, I'll be right back." Allen got up to leave, heading towards the bathroom and throwing away his lunch wrappers on the way there. He hated talking about his "love" life with his friends (especially Kanda, who was not his friend). It set him on edge and just made things more nerve wracking, and now he really had to pee…

After finishing his pit stop, he washed his hands and walked back out, not expecting the shove he received sending him roughly against a wall. For a moment he wavered in a daze, not entirely sure about what had just happened. Then he looked up, and his heart sank as he recognized two of the junior boys from some of his classes.

"S'up faggot?" said the first one, a dark styled tall boy named Devit along with his crony, a shorter long haired blonde named Jasdero who wore odd stitch piercings across his mouth. Allen stayed quiet, hoping that by maybe thinking hard enough he might be able to sink in through the wall and escape these two. They'd given him grief a few times before, since Allen didn't really keep his sexuality much of a secret, but for the most part they were all bark and no bite. Except for the rare occasion when they'd really been itching to beat up on someone, in which case Allen had come home with a few bruised ribs and sore stomach muscles.

"Been sucking dick in the bathrooms, hii?" Jasdero shoved his face up into Allen's and grinned like a psychopath.

"Oi, faggot, we saw you while driving down the street the other night holding some other guy's arm. He your gay ass boyfriend or some shit?" Devit strengthened his hold on Allen, pinching the smaller boy's shoulders and earning a little yelp. Allen tried to stop the noise from escaping his throat, but simply couldn't help it as the older student was hurting him.

"Let go of me…"

"What was that, Faggotty Andy? Sorry we couldn't hear you over the sound of you eating cock, hii!" The blonde one roughly shoved Allen in the chest, making his contact with the wall impact harder than normal. Allen could feel his heart racing, and the sweat starting to break out… Someone had seen him with Link… and of all people these two… Chances were they wouldn't recognize the older college student though, since Link'd had his braid tucked away and the snow was pretty thick when they'd made it to any main roads, he would just come across as any old blonde.

"Can you two find someone else to pick on?" Allen tried to deadpan. He wouldn't let the fear show in his voice. Not in front of these guys.. "I really have places to be."

"Hah! Look at the confidence!" Devit cackled before jamming his fist into Allen's stomach with all his strength, knocking the wind out of him. Allen coughed heavily, slowly starting to sink down before being pulled back up. "Yo, you think we're done with you?"

Allen swallowed and braced himself against whatever was next to come, his last thought being that he should call Link and cancel before feeling a splintering pain against his face.

**Hey look, Lavi!**

**Also some Allen beating... Ah well what's an AU DGM fic without some Allen involved violence?**

**Sorry for language, but seeing how I'm writing gay bashers it would be better to keep it accurate so you can dislike them more (Why do I always make Jasdevi the bad guy?)**

**Get excited, because there's definitely way more to come :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**So I guess Wednesday is just gonna be upload day XD**

**Why am I so fluffy...? If my writing was anything like my drawing, this story would be completely different.**

**However words are sometimes easier for me than images, so enjoy :D**

Link heard his cell phone start vibrating and checked the caller ID.

He grimaced and almost hit the immediate hang up button when he saw "Red Headed Moron" flash on the screen, yet answered anyways since Lavi normally never called him.

"What."

"Hey, be nicer when I go out of my way to contact you, Two Spot."

"Stop calling me that. Now what do you want. I'm not taking any of your crummy advice, Junior." He heard the high schooler on the other end let out a frustrated clicking noise, allowing himself a small smirk of satisfaction. Calling Lavi Junior was like calling Link Two Dots. They both had their respective vile nick names and used them against each other like weapons.

"Have you seen Allen?"

"Hm?" Link leaned back in his chair, adjusting the phone so he could hear better. "No I haven't… why?"

"He got up to go to the bathroom during lunch and never came back… He wasn't in History either…" He heard the red head suck on his tongue, a noise that made Link cringe out of irritation. "I'm worried… I was positive he'd be with you…"

"No… He never came over…" Link stuck his pen in his mouth and chewed on it. Allen was missing? "Did you check his house?"

"I've been calling for like thirty minutes now, and no one's answering…"

"Shit.."

"Yeah that's what I'm thinking…" Link felt a heaviness growing in his chest, his heart rate picking up slightly. Allen always answered the phone… Was he really missing? Was he mad…? "Listen, Two Do-"

"Link."

"Ok, whatever. Link. Can you go over and check on Allen? Like to his house I mean…"

The oldest blinked and almost gave his phone a disbelieving stare. "Why me? I thought you two were best friends or something."

"Yeah, but he likes hearing nice things from you and not from me. I don't know what went down, but Allen doesn't usually just skip school, you and I both know that." There was a silence over the line for a minute before the Junior Bookman picked back up. "Please, if he's there, just check on him and make him happy or something… Do it for Al, ok?"

Link snorted into the mouth piece, though deep down he felt a seed of worry growing. "Fine. But I'm only doing this for Walker's sake."

"Great. That's all I'm asking of you. Thanks." The line closed as Lavi hung up and Link stared at his cell for a moment. Allen missing… He swallowed and grabbed his coat and car keys, stepping outside to be greeted by bitter cold. He shivered, not only from frigid weather, but from the idea that Allen might be in trouble. What if he wasn't home? Should he call the police? He took a deep breath and sat in his car, which seemed far too fancy for his taste (he hadn't bought it, but Leverrier insisted he drive it), pushing the ignition button and hearing the engine softly roar to life.

It only took about five minutes to drive to Allen's house, even in the snow since he'd gotten his chains put on that afternoon for fear of slipping around on ice. He walked up to the door and pushed down all his bad omen feelings. He took a deep breath and rapped the wood surface a few times, waiting patiently until someone answered. The door swung open and he was greeted with the reek of alcohol.

"The fuck are you doing here." Cross. Always with this man. The stone cut features were dazedly trying to focus on Link's face from what it seemed.

Link cleared his throat. "Is Walker here?"

Cross squinted through the half glasses he wore, the other lens replaced by a right sided face mask. "Who?"

"Allen Walker…" Link repeated. "Your nephew?"

"I'm sorry but we're not interested in being Mormon." Cross was shutting the door, but Link caught it and stopped it from closing.

"I'm not here for that. Can I come in?"

"No, idiot."

"I'm coming in." Link pushed passed the drunken uncle of his partner and squeezed his way into the cluttered house. Cross didn't really do anything accept stand there for a bit before staggering to his signature arm chair and opening a whine bottle. He stepped over the odd objects covering up the floor until he got to the base of the stairs. He looked up them and called out promptly. "Walker! Walker, are you here?" He waited a minute. No answer. "It's me, Link!" Still no answer. He felt his heart sink and called, "I'm coming up, ok? If you don't want me up there, say so now!"

He didn't wait this time, instead just going up the stairs and heading to Allen's room. The door was closed, as per usual since Allen didn't want Cross getting into any of his stuff. He straightened out his vest and tie before knocking on the door. "Walker?"

He put his ear to the door and heard some shuffling inside, a glimmer of hope alighting his earlier worries. "Walker, it's Link… Can you come to the door?"

More shuffling, but no answer still.

"If you don't answer it, I'm just gonna barge in."

The shuffling quickened for a bit and then following it came a voice. "Don't come in."

Link mentally let out a sigh of relief and continued his banter with the door. "Then come and answer it. I just want to talk…"

"I can't make it tonight." Allen's voice sounded rough and scratchy. _Did he catch a cold after all?_

"Did you get sick?"

"…"

"Walker?"

"Yeah. I'm sick. I'll see you when I'm better though."

Something was wrong… Link could feel it. "Please let me in, Walker. I just want to talk to you…"

"No, you'll get sick too."

"Did I do something wrong?" He pressed his forehead against the door, leaning on it to relieve some of the pressure building up in his skull. Was Allen actually mad at him? Maybe he should've stayed in the morning anyway... But then Leverrier would've… He grit his teeth. "Walker please. Just let me in."

"It's not anything you did…" That quiet, barely audible voice made Link cringe. Hearing Allen upset was like hearing nails on chalkboard. He couldn't stand it and would do anything to make it stop. "Just go home…"

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong, just go!" He jumped back from the door as he felt an object crash off of it, sending unpleasant vibrations through his hands. He almost dashed off then, thinking that maybe he really should just leave Allen to deal with this how he claimed he wanted to… But if Howard Link was anything, it was stubborn. From beyond the door he heard a quiet and shuddering gasp, churning his stomach and making his resolve all the more clear. It was the sound Allen made when he tried to stop himself from crying, one probably only Link and Lavi would be able to recognize. Without asking this time he went for the doorknob and attempted to turn it, his actions proving utterly futile since it was locked. He took a deep breath, a few steps back and started shouting at the occupant beyond the troublesome door.

"WALKER. IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS BLOODY DOOR RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA KICK IT DOWN AND PAY THE DAMAGES OFF LATER!" He gave it a light kick to show he meant business. "I'M GIVING YOU TO THE COUNT OF THREE. ONE… TWO… THR-"

The door swung open and he was left with a clear path to Allen's room. He put his leg down and stepped in, noticing there was no Allen to be seen. He knew where the teen was though, as he pivoted on his heel and went back to the door, he found Allen facing away from him on the side that was he was previously opposite of.

"Walker-"

"You got in, now go home." The white haired teen's voice held the impression that it was steady, but there was an edge to it that gave away his deeper anguishes to Link.

"Lavi called and told me you skipped the last of your classes… He sounded really worried so I came to check on you." He felt a nasty taste on his tongue at the mention of the obscene red head.

"Lavi… called you…?"

"Yeah." Link snorted. "I guess when it comes to you we do have something in common. Can you believe that?"

Allen was silent and seemed to be trying to will himself through the door. It was moments like these, weak moments for Allen, where Link saw how fragile he really could be. Allen kept up a strong façade, working himself to the bone most days, smiling even when he wasn't happy, dealing with the stress of his uncle… It was all Link could hope for that the poor boy didn't break and shatter into a million pieces.

Allen slowly turned toward Link with a hesitation in his movements. He looked up at the older blonde, Link seeing that there was definitely something wrong because Allen's expression wasn't even hiding behind a false smile at this point. At first it was hard to tell, all the lights were turned off so the only light coming in came from the pale sun outside the window, but there was something on Allen's face. He stepped closer, halting upon recognizing what it was.

It was a nasty bruise about the size of a fist located on the right corner of Allen's mouth and spreading to almost half his cheek. The injury had swelled up a good deal, no longer just puffy and red like how it must have been on initial impact, but now a series of deep purples, browns and blues that stained the porcelain white skin. A scabby bit of blood crusted up the corner of the boy's mouth where the lip had probably split and bled until it congealed.

Link kept quiet as he moved forward, not taking any notice of the little gasp he heard when he grabbed Allen and pulled him into a hug. He wasn't much taller than Allen, so the boy's head ended up resting right on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Allen more securely, making sure not to constrict or suffocate him. The sophomore stood awkwardly, his arms just kind of hanging at his side, which made Link start to think that maybe he had the wrong idea…

"Link…?" By now Allen's voice was shaken and raspy, like he was holding something back.

"Yes, Allen?" He brought a hand up and pet the back of Allen's head, stroking gently like one would a fragile puppy.

"Is it ok if I cry… Just for a little bit…?" Link could hear the tightness in his partner's throat.

"Cry as much as you want to. I'll be right here, ok?"

He felt Allen nod and release a long held breath as the younger male threw his arms around the back of Link's neck. Allen let out a few initial heart racking sobs before settling down into a pattern of sniffling and gaspy breathing. Link could feel the tears soaking into his vest, but he didn't care about his clothing as of right now. Instead he busied himself with rubbing Allen's back and holding him in his somewhat tight and protective barrier.

After about ten minutes Allen calmed down a bit and was able to talk somewhat, no longer hiccupping to the point of near hyperventilation.

"S-Sorry… Link…"

"Don't apologize." Link cupped Allen's cheek and rubbed a thumb across the surface gently. "Can you tell me what happened here?"

Allen shook his head and leaned into Link's palm, allowing the blonde to feel the increased amount of heat coming off of the bruise. "Just some stupid kids…"

"Stupid kids are the worst type of human being."

Allen let out a shaky laugh and gripped the fancy vest Link was wearing. "I've ruined it…"

"I can wash it." Link took Allen's face in both his hands and brought their foreheads together like the night before. It made him feel unsteady and his stomach was jittery… But Allen was his partner and he wanted him to feel safe right now. "Do you still want to go out tonight?"

Allen rubbed his eyes and sniffed. "Not like this…" The younger's face twisted up and he looked like he might start crying fresh tears. "I really wanted to though…"

Link used one of the hands that was holding Allen's face to pet the side of the boys head, cooing at him and speaking to him in low tones. "Let's save it for when you're all better then, ok? If you want, we can go to my apartment and I'll order some pizza for us. Choose a movie you like and I'll go pick it up at Red Box. Does that sound ok?"

Allen nodded and rushed forward, holding Link tightly against his thinner form. This time Link was caught by surprise and let out a short whelp against his will, but he recovered quickly and held Allen back. Now that things had settled down a little, he realized just how touchy he was being with Allen. A blush came to his face and his stomach jitters returned ten fold. Was this really ok? He had been asking himself that a lot these last few days… Illegal or not, no one was really around to see, and Cross wouldn't come upstairs unless there was a booze shortage and the man had a hint that Allen was hiding some away. He even took a step further and buried his nose into the top of Allen's head, slowly inhaling so he wouldn't make any noise to give away the deed he was performing. Without thinking he left a kiss there and then regretted it sorely, since Allen noticed and looked up to him with a heavy blush.

"You just-"

"N-no…"

"On the top of my head-"

"NO."

"But you did-"

"NO, WALKER." He felt his heart thumping hard against his chest and gripped over the surface, afraid the organ might jump out and away. "I don't know what I was…" He hissed through his teeth and rubbed a temple gingerly. "It was an accident."

"Don't say that." Allen raised his hand and brushed a stray hair out of Link's eyes, causing him to short circuit and stare wide eyed at his partner. "Because… I kind of like it… And I don't want to think that you did something… like that… just because of an accident…" The bruised teen looked off to the side and bit his bottom lip. "Can I… Kiss the top of your head…?"

Link opened and closed his mouth, playing with the little silver buttons lining his chest. Should he? Should he not? He couldn't be a hypocrite… But Allen… But legal… But he wanted… He let out a frustrated yelp and leaned his head down. "Just get it out of your system."

He felt Allen's hands gently grip either side of his head and his breathing began to run short. He closed his eyes, tensing slightly when he felt Allen's lips touch the top of his scalp. Warm breath moved through his hair and a shudder went down his body from head to toe tips. He was practically ready to pass out when Allen finally retreated and flashed a damaged smile at him.

"You ready to go now?" He asked the sophomore.

"Yeah." Allen grabbed Link's hand and headed for the door. "Thanks… For coming to check on me and pick me up…" The boy rubbed his cheek sheepishly and looked to his feet. "I'm sorry I'm not presentable enough to go out tonight.."

Link huffed and lightly smacked the back of Allen's head. "Stop that. I'd take you out anyways, and you know that."

They tip toed through the living room and out the door, being very careful not to wake up the passed out Cross who had taken refuge in a drunken slumber. Once they were out of the house they quickly made a dash for Link's car and got in, the older not hesitating to start the ignition and get out of there just in case Allen's uncle decided to wake up and try and stop them.

First Link drove to the local 7-11, picking up some soda and a wide variety of other snacks, knowing no matter how many pizzas he bought it would never satisfy Allen. He'd given the younger his credit card and instructed him to go and pick out any movie he wanted from the Red Box right outside the door. After paying his dues and saving Allen from the touch screen his left hand couldn't seem to work, they filed back into the car and started driving in the direction of Link's apartment.

Link's home was a posh looking unit containing two rooms, one bathroom, a spacious living room, equally well sized kitchen and a covered balcony. It was far too large for his taste, especially with the extra room which he'd just ended up turning into an office. His sponsors, however, had insisted that a lawyer student under supervision of the Leverrier family needed to keep up a high public presentation. Therefore his attire, his car, almost all of his personal affects were made by high end commercial companies or gave off a classical looking appearance. In his opinion, such ways of living were far too showy and it made him feel like a scum bag, but a living was a living and he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"What movie did you get?" Link kept his eyes on the road as he tried to strike up a conversation.

"Transformers 3…" Allen muttered into his coat. "That's not too… distasteful… is it?"

Link shrugged. "Not my personal kind of choice, but you picked it out so I'll enjoy it."

"We can take it back…"

"No." He turned on his blinker and took a right turn, seeing the gated fence that surrounded his complex coming up. "If it's something you want to see then I'll sit and watch it with you."

"You're gonna hate it.." Allen hung his head. "I should've picked something else…"  
"Stop that." Without turning to the boy he was able to flick the younger's nose and in return heard a small yelp. "I haven't even seen it yet so I have no idea. The genre may not be something I'd normally pick out, but I want you to enjoy yourself, and I want to sit and enjoy it with you."

Allen nodded sullenly and started rummaging around in his pockets. He brought out two quarters and presented them to Link. "Here's fifty cense… I didn't have to, but I really wanted to get it on blu ray…"

Link waved his hand while keeping the other on the steering wheel. "No, you keep it. Fifty cence isn't anything to get worried about. Leverrier gave me that stupid player so I might as well use it."

Allen brought his arm back and sighed. "I feel like I'm useless to you…"

"Why do you say that?"

"You do everything for me…" Link watched as the younger frowned and started fiddling with his hands. "You buy me things and offer to take me out and walk me home… I can never afford anything and I'm too nervous to even think about offering anything.."

The blonde parked his car in the garage he had been assigned and put his hand over Allen's left. "I'm older, remember? It's my job to buy you things or take care of you or lead on with the couply stuff. Honestly I've been doing kind of a shit job lately… But I promise after your birthday I'll try to do more with you. Be it dates, or hanging out or… well you know… other stuff…" He blushed and plunked his head against his window, mentally kicking himself for being so awkward.

Allen giggled and squeezed Link's hand before letting go and heading out the car door. Link waited until Allen had started heading out of the garage before hitting his forehead on the steering wheel and taking in a few deep breaths. _Just stay chill, keep it cool… Don't do anything stupid._ With that resolve he grabbed the bags of snacks out of the trunk and headed up where Allen was waiting for him to unlock the door.

They stepped inside, both shaking the snow from their boots and hanging their coats up in the closet. Link turned on the lights and headed to the kitchen, putting each food in its respective place until it could later be devoured by the monster he called his date. When he stepped back into his living room he found Allen already placing the movie inside the player and working each remote as Link had taught him to.

"What kind of pizza do you want, Walker?"

"Um…" Allen pursed his lips and a low groan could be heard from his stomach. He grinned sheepishly and replied, "Every kind?"

Link made a sucking noise with his teeth and stepped into his office to Google the number for Dominoes. "Every kind… Of course every kind, what was I thinking…?" Allen had the appetite of ten growing teenagers, what other answer was there?

He got the number, placed his order and went to join his partner who was already sitting on the smallest corner of the couch. His arms were wrapped around his knees which were curled up to his chest.

"Do you want a blanket or something?" Link took a seat a cushion away, not yet comfortable with being cozy with Allen in his own home.

"Maybe later…" Allen was playing with his collar, appearing to be trying to cover up the large bruise taking up the non scarred side of his face.

Link grabbed one of the hands and held it away from Allen's collar. "Cut that out, no one minds here."

"But it's so ugly…" Allen's voice tightened a little and Link thought the boy might start crying again.

"Allen it's fine."

"Who's fine?" Allen stopped fidgeting and looked up into Link's face, the blonde being slightly taken aback.

"What?"

"Who's fine."

"Well, you will be, it'll just take a little bit."

"Who's me?"

"Walker?"

No." Allen shook his head.

Link sighed and conjured up all his courage. "A-Allen…"

Allen smiled and made a wiggly motion with his body into the couch. "Yes…?"

"You're enjoying this too much." Link huffed and fwumped back onto the couch, wearing the same straight faced expression he kept in every situation. Then he chewed his cheek and uttered, "Sorry I'm not really sufficient in even being able to call you by first name…"

Allen shook his head. "It's ok. I just really enjoy it when you're able to say it… It gives me goose bumps, sort of… Can I call you How-"

"No. No, and no." Link put a finger over Allen's lips and frowned. "No one calls me that."

Allen pouted "Someday, can I?"

"Maybe."

Allen got up off his curled up position and scooted over to Link, instead taking a sitting posture in which he sat too straight and kept his fists on his knees. "Because some day… I want that name to be special to only me… Is that selfish?"

Link felt a red blush creep up over his cheeks and inflame his ears. "I-I suppose… I don't think it's selfish I just… It doesn't feel like my name…"

"Why?" Allen weaseled closer and snaked a hand over to Link's.

Link jerked his hand back and looked away. "I really can't talk about it now…"

"Link-?"

"I said I can't, Walker!" Link snapped back. He didn't mean to use such a harsh tone… but there were certain things he didn't want his younger partner to know about just yet. The secret behind his name being one of them. He put a hand to his head and slumped down, groaning as he did so. "Sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"It's ok." Allen wore that same smile he always did, the one Link knew was usually fake. He felt a tightness in his chest, feeling suddenly very bad about having shouted out at Allen.

"It's not ok…" He grimaced. "I should control myself more… especially when it comes to you." The blonde looked back over to Allen who was now wearing a blank expression, one he couldn't read. It was a face that he was sure may actually be Allen's true personality, hidden under all the formality and such. Little bits of it had a tendency to come out here and there, where Allen would utter a harsh curse word that seemed out of place, or one time Link had witnessed the younger male throw a book across the room in anger about something Cross had probably done. He hadn't known he was watching at the time, since he had witnessed the action through Allen's living room window. Though when he brought it up with Allen, the white haired teen had nervously laughed and said he'd short circuited. He very much suspected that Allen was sugar coating his true self, dousing it in the classical and formal presentation he greeted people with.

Allen looked liked he was about to say something, before his stomach growled and he blushed in embarrassment instead. "Um…?"

"I'll go get something, you wait here, ok?" Link got up and headed back to his kitchen, rummaging through the supplies he had obtained and picking out a few non-sweets type items that Allen could munch on. Upon returning to the frame that entered the living room he saw Allen lifting his shirt up a bit and instinctively stopped. At first he reprimanded himself for self consciously trying to see a more exposing part of his date, but then he witnessed the younger gripping a part of his stomach and wincing. That couldn't just be from hunger, could it…? He marched forward, set the food down on the table and grabbed Allen's hand that was gripping his tummy.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing I-" Allen silence as Link lifted up the shirt slightly, seeing a mark similar to the one currently making home on Allen's cheek. "Link.." His head lurched up, being greeted with a wide eyed and blushing Allen before he realized what he was doing.

"S-sorry! I wasn't… I was just… The bruises, I was…!" He took a deep breath and released it before continuing. "How many of those do you have."

"Just the two…"

"Liar."

"It's not a big deal, it's just some-"

"Allen, someone attacked you!" Link could hear the desperation in his own voice, trying to control it. "You… Are very important to me…. And when something like this happens to you I want to be there for you, understand?" He mentally chided himself for being so forward and strange sounding, but right now he was worried for Allen (as he usually was). He wanted to make sure the younger male could have someone to fall back on. "Things like this shouldn't happen to you…" He lightly brushed his partner's injured cheek.

Allen took the hand in his and sniffled, tears starting to form in his eyes, yet not falling most likely due to the boy's pride. Nonetheless he brought out that smile of his, the one that was torture for people who knew it wasn't real. "You know something…?"

"Hm?"

Allen drew in a shaky breath and released a weird laugh, the sound catching on the tightness in his throat. "I was really scared… And it hurt a lot… But then you came over and hugged me and made me feel better… And if I had to go through it all again just for that I would. To be here… and stuff… or.. yeah…"

Now both males were quiet, Link completely unsure how to respond. His stomach was churning somersaults and his mind was a fuzzy blank snow that refused to spit out any intelligible information. He and Allen ended up just kind of staring at each other, neither one having anything good to say to the other at this point.

They both jumped when a knock was heard at the door, averting each other's eyes and shifting about with no real purpose. Link made a move to get up, pointing at the door.

"I'm gonna go…"

"Yeah…"

He grabbed his wallet out of his dress pants and answered the door, greeting the pizza deliverer with his normal stoic indifference.

"Want any change?" The man asked after Link handed him an immense load of cash. Eleven pizzas cost a good amount of money, and only half of one of them was reserved for himself.

"No, you keep it." With that he took on the load, dipping slightly at the unexpected weight and hauling them all over to the table. Allen's eyes were unblinking and owlish as he practically started drooling over the fresh delivered goods. The older dropped them all off by the couch and retrieved a few sodas out of his fridge before passing one to his partner.

"Make no mistake," He started, taking a sip from his can and upholding his straightened posture. "I will take you out at some point, and you will enjoy it. That's my promise."

Allen laughed and cracked open his own soda with a frenzy only the Walker boy could muster up. "I'll take you up on that, Link."

Eventually Allen started his movie up, gobbling down box by box of pizza as he watched. Link tried to get into the plot (or lack thereof), and decided it better to just focus on the special effects. Both males cocked their heads at the supposedly hot female scenes, placed there for the viewing pleasure of heterosexual males. The point of it was lost on them however, and during drawn out scenes of the blonde woman they would sigh and get bored. Link wasn't even really sure he was quite homosexual… Even scenes of attractive males in movies didn't impress him and he'd had to settle for the best answer he could come up with. That maybe he was just Allensexual and nothing else… Before Allen things like romance, desires, human relationships in general hadn't interested him. But the sophomore boy was a whole different ball park. Though the older blonde would be damned if he ever admitted this to anyone, he had ended up leaving Allen on several occasions with more than platonic desires and an unstable walk. He would never give in to such thoughts though. Not now at least. Allen was entirely too young first of all, and also he wanted it to be Allen's emotional choice to decide when he was ready to give that opportunity to Link. He'd wait as long as it took, and even if he never got the chance to have Allen in a more physical way, he was glad to just be allowed around the white haired teen as often as he was. He enjoyed the younger's company, even without hugging and hand holding (though over the past few days he discovered a fondness for both things, and really needed to find a way to tone it back down a bit…), and simply being able to have Allen in his life in general was a pleasure to him. This was something he felt that monstrous red headed friend of his partner's would never understand. The act of being with someone just to be with them. To share moments and have someone to rely on was more important for him to give to Allen than for himself to have a physical relationship with someone else. Maybe he wasn't the best with being supportive all of the time, Link's tendency to get overly nervous around the boy he himself had asked out often times made it hard to always be the best shoulder… But ever since Allen had called him out that night when it'd started snowing he'd been putting in as much extra effort as possible. He didn't want to lose Allen. Not only because that stingy one eyed moron would rub it in his face that he couldn't keep up with the sophomore, but he honestly had strong and deep regards for Allen. Ones that Allen might not yet be able to understand due to his still developing personality. He didn't worry too much in that regard though; Even for a fifteen year old Allen was pretty much grown up. He already had his own job, took care of himself (Cross wasn't the greatest guardian), and kept up with his school work, earning the boy relatively good grades.

Link felt a hand grip his shirt sleeve and he snapped out of thoughts, turning to Allen. The white haired teen was staring at the TV wide eyed and wore a face of utter horror. "Bumblebee no…" The blonde brought his attention back to the screen, watching a sequence of slow motion and well animated robots play out across it. He mentally shook his head, not really sure even where the hell this film was going. Allen, however, was glued to the movie and reacted to every little action that occurred.

_Cute…_ Link thought before his cheeks reddened upon realizing he was thinking of Allen as such… Sure, Allen was very cute for a guy, but he was still a man! Well a… littler man… Kind of short and round faced, but a man nonetheless (The short thing actually worked out in his favor, since Link was only about average height).

_How much more of this movie is there…?_ What had it been, like an hour and a half? Maybe more? He was done with this… It was all a bunch of showy art and electronic sound effects to him. He would have turned it off fifteen minutes in if Allen didn't seem so into it. He sat there for another twenty minutes, focusing on the workings of how the effects were done since the plot really didn't have anything to chew on. He looked back to his partner to see how he was holding up.

Allen had fallen asleep, knees loosely curled up against his chest and head resting softly against the couch's arm. Link snorted and shook his head, realizing that he may have been able to save himself about at least ten minutes of this sorry excuse of a so-called cinema event. He didn't waste any more time in turning off the television, the sounds of electronic parts and explosions being replaced by that of Allen's quiet snoring. The blonde cleaned up around the living room, putting all eleven pizza boxes to the side until he felt he could be brave enough to battle the cold to his recycling bin. He threw the rest of the wrappers, soda cans, and any small uneaten bits left behind by the young teen into their respective bags to be thrown out later.

After quietly vacuuming, he came to the conclusion that he was only cleaning to avoid having to do anything with Allen… Waking the kid up was a nightmare. Link was still the worse of the two morning people, but Allen wasn't much fun either. He didn't want to just tell Allen to go home, that would be rude and sounded like something Lavi said to his victims after he'd had his way with them. But he didn't want it to look like he was trying to keep the boy over either… Dilemmas like these were more difficult than anything… Despite how he probably didn't have to be, he performed his actions around Allen like he would stepping around a field of land mines, scared to death that if he stepped in the wrong spot it would all blow up in his face and Allen would leave him. He chewed his cheek and made the decision to just keep his partner here. This way, he would know for sure that Allen was safe, away from harm, and most importantly, any and all feelings of abandonment could be avoided. If Allen woke up and decided to leave he could, and if he decided to stay, well that was fine too.

Now the tricky part… Where to put the boy…? Link thought it improper to just leave him on the couch as he was… What if Allen got cold? The living room was far less warm than the bedroom… Would he be a creep if he moved Allen to his bed? He of course would sleep on the couch in trade, the notion of sleeping in the same room even made his skin produce goose bumps and shiver lightly. The real problem of course was going to be how to move him there. He could easily carry Allen who, for as much as he ate, was fairly light… But what if he woke up? Allen was a light sleeper from what Link could tell, his partner had told him about his tendency to wake up several times throughout the night. He scratched the back of his head and took in a deep breath, letting it all out a little more dramatically than was probably necessary. There weren't really any other options… He'd just have to suck it up and carry Allen.

Link carefully bent down and lifted the sleeping Allen into his arms, making each move deliberate so as to not wake him. He could feel the warmth emanating from the young Walker's body, the radiation a pleasant sensation against Link's chest and arms. Stepping into his bedroom (also needlessly spacious and decorated with class), the blonde made his way over to the king size bed that only ever occupied himself to set his sleeping carry-on down. He ended up standing before the furniture for a bit, enjoying the sensation of holding his date so close to him. He looked down at Allen, lightly smiling at the pure features that were carved so meaningfully into the younger's face like the most elegant white stone. The boy's pink lips were slightly parted, moist with saliva from his tendency to drool in his sleep, his arms curled up against his chest, a light pink hue covering his slumbering body… Link swallowed. He couldn't believe this was all his… That he was even permitted at some point in his life to hold something so beautiful and untouched… Then he gritted his teeth at the sight of the bruise. That ugly, marring blotch that took up Allen's right cheek. If he ever found the culprits (for he knew Allen would never tell him), he'd give them what for and show them not to mess with his beloved partner. The fact that someone could even bring themselves to harm Allen bothered him on a level he couldn't calculate.

Allen made a light mew in his arms. Link's breath caught in his throat and without meaning to he ended up staring at his cargo, expecting it to jump awake and demand explanations. Luckily the noise must have just been something that pertained to Allen's sleeping habits for he resumed his regular snoring pattern and Link let out a sigh of relief.

He slowly lifted Allen down onto his bed, placing him as gently as humanly possible before putting covers over the boy and tucking him in. Even then he stayed for a bit, sitting on the edge and watching Allen sleep. It was probably weird… But at the moment he couldn't care less. Without thinking about it, he leaned forward, brushing back the bangs covering Allen's face most of the time and took his gander with slow intent. He photographed this image into his mind for safe keeping, wanting no one else to ever have such a view.

The next moment that took place, Link didn't think he could stop even if he wanted to. Without breaking out into a cold sweat, without vomiting out of nervousness or his heart pounding with malicious intent, he placed a light kiss on Allen's forehead where the odd pentacle scar made its mark. He felt Allen's sleepy warmth pool on his lips and he drank the heat in with pleasure. He pulled back, checking to make sure Allen was still out and didn't notice this time, unlike his stunt with the top-of-the-head kissing. Link brushed a light finger over Allen's bruised cheek before getting up and walking out, closing the door behind him as quietly as he could.

The thought crossed his mind once he was on the other side of the door that maybe he was truly losing control…

**Yes Link, you kissed your boyfriend on the forehead, now you're a raging pervert.**

**Ahaha, it's really funny to me just how ridiculously fluffy this is... Hope I'm not pissing any of you guys off with it, because if you follow this story then you're in for a long haul of not-porn XD**

**Any who, sorry to all you Allen sympathizers out there! But something dramatic has to happen in order for something better to take its place (That's right Fifty Shades of Gray, I'm lookin' at your poorly written ass). So for Allen and Link to make advancements something else has to push them, other wise they might just be sitting in that study reading for the next four years D:**

**Thank you for reading and I hope I can continue to please you :)**

**-Colby**


	4. Chapter 4

**So starting with this chapter you are going to see these 'O's in weird places, and they represent the end of a segment or scene within a chapter. Thought I'd tell ya now to throw off any confusion XD**

**God why the fuck am I so damn fluffy...? I don't get it either. If you ever talked to me in real life you'd be like: "That girl is into some seriously freaky shit..." And here I am writing Disney stuff with a little more gay.**

**Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 4**  
**

Allen couldn't concentrate.

The pen in his hand that was supposed to be jotting down notes on the Roman government system wouldn't move. This morning at about six am he'd awoken in Link's bed to his partner's gentle shaking of his shoulder. How he'd gotten to the bed in the first place could only be explained by one theory, the one being that Link had carried him from the couch and set him in the bed. The idea of it made his heart race and a cold sweat would come over him… He almost wished he'd been awake at the time, maybe at that able to enjoy being in his love interest's arms… On the other hand it may have been better this way, seeing how Allen almost started fainting at the very notion that he was carried, having been conscious for it probably wouldn't have gone over well. He was still debating as to whether or not to tell Lavi anything… Because as of right now, he felt kind of good about it. His first sleepover at Link's house and he had been carried over to the ridiculously large bed and soft sheets. He couldn't remember the last time he got such a good night's sleep on a school night. Unfortunately, he knew Lavi would just be unimpressed, and Allen didn't feel like having his good feelings shit on at the moment. Also as of today he was trying to not bump into any of his friends, so talking to Lavi was out of the question.

Eventually he just threw the pen down and leaned back in his chair, giving up on the hope that he might be able to write anything down. His mind was too frazzled, and it didn't help that he had to go to work right after school. Luckily this was his last class and he wouldn't have to deal with being in the building avoiding his friends all day so they wouldn't see his face anymore. It was difficult in history, since he shared the class with Lavi who was the TA, but upon entering he'd covered his head with his hood and avoided pointing his right cheek anywhere in direct eye sight of the red head. He'd taken a seat in the back so no one would bother him and started planning his escape route as soon as class began. It was a risk to take, mostly because he had been avoiding his friends at lunch and in any classes they may have shared, not to mention not answering their phone calls to his house, they were probably catching on to his lack o f social activity. He had to do it though… As soon as either Lenalee or Lavi saw his bruises, or the multitude of them if he removed his shirt, they would start becoming concerned for his safety. Allen wanted them to be occupied with their own lives instead of his personal pity problems.

He heard the class bell and packed his materials with quick desperation. Unluckily for him the Junior Bookman had made a direct path across the classroom and came right up to his desk. Allen kept his hood over the right side of his face, not caring much about how weird it must've looked to his older friend.

"Allen we haven't seen you since lunch yesterday… I didn't even know you were here until I saw you walk in..." Lavi helped with the rest of the books, most likely unaware of how irked he was making Allen feel right now.

"It's nothing." Using only one hand he scooped the rest of his crap into his backpack and allowed Lavi to put the books in. Now his one eyed companion was giving him a funny look.

"This isn't anything to do with Two Spot is it?" The older bit his lip and stared to the side wearing a look of apprehension. "I'm the one who sent him over… If he's done any-"

"Lavi, it's not Link." Allen answered shortly before trying to rush out the door. His way got blocked by the taller red head.

"Allen, why aren't you telling me anything?" There was a hint of hurt in Lavi's voice and Allen felt a prick in his heart. "You never not tell me shit, bro… What's up?"

Allen tried getting past anyways, but didn't think about the senior's superior strength. "Lavi, Just give me, like, a week, ok? Then I'll tell you about it and it'll be gone for the most part."

"What'll be gone?"

"Nothing… Just… Can you let me go? I have work-" Allen was cut off mid-sentence as Lavi jerked his hood down and stared wide eyed at the ugly display soaked into Allen's porcelain skin.

"Allen.."

"Don't make a big deal out of it." The boy yanked his hood back up, feeling a bout of embarrassment racking his system. He hated the idea that he'd been overpowered… He hated that he couldn't defend himself like Link or Lavi… or even Lenalee who was known for wearing sharp heeled boots that could deliver a nasty kick… He even envied that bastard Kanda with his ripped form and ability to use anything sword shaped to take out his enemies…

"Allen, how did that happen?" Lavi stepped aside now, letting Allen through but following after closely. "Link didn't… Did he?"

"Jesus no! Lavi…" Allen rolled his eyes and made a face. "Link was actually… When he saw it he was really nice… Even though we weren't able to go out…"

"He wouldn't take you out 'cause of the bruise?" Lavi asked with an astonished face.

"No! Lavi will you stop assuming everything bad about him? He still offered, but I was the one who said no. Instead I went over to his place and we watched a movie and stuff."

"And stuff?" Lavi grinned.

"You're so gross." The sophomore stuck his tongue out. "We're not like you, we're still on the holding hands and occasionally hugging base…"

"That's not even first base, Al."

"Shut up, Lavi. It's a base for me." He wasn't in a fun mood right now and he just wanted this day to be over with.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry, Al. You know I'm just looking out for ya!"

"It just pisses me off that you automatically think that Link's done something wrong every time my own personal life shits on me, Lavi. Things happen, I get hurt, I get upset, but that's life, NOT Link." His head felt a little hotter, frustration pitting up in his stomach and coursing through his veins. He didn't normally get so defensive, but lately Link was kind of his sanctuary and Lavi wouldn't let up on trying to make the blonde look like some sort of bad guy.

"I just get bad vibes from him, dude…" Lavi persisted, keeping up with the fast paced stride Allen was now performing.

"He says the same thing about you, ya know," Allen huffed.

"So he's turning you against me!"

"You're turning me against him!" The white haired teen pivoted to face Lavi directly, his face curled up into a slight snarl before easing into one of exhaustion. "Lavi… You're my best friend, and you always will be. It doesn't matter if Link doesn't like you, I always will regardless. But it works the other way around too, just because you don't like Link, that doesn't mean my feelings for him are gonna change."

Lavi made let out a groan and grabbed his shorter friend around the shoulders. "You're killing me, man."

"I know." Allen smiled and continued walking to the doors that would lead him outside, patting his hood before doing so. He exited the school, making way for the bus stop with Lavi still keeping close vigilance, when he heard a familiar voice over the soft buzz of teenage noise.

"Allen, there you are!" Lenalee came running up to the two of them and Allen felt his stomach tighten. He pulled the hood over as best he could, knowing that out of Lavi and Lenalee, she was going to take it the absolute worse. The girl had a tendency to take things to heart and get upset at the very thought that one of her friends might be hurt. She had explained it to Allen one time as her friends being her family, since she pretty much had none except her overbearing brother. "Allen we were looking for you all day!" She stopped to catch her breath for a moment before continuing. "What's wrong? Why weren't you at lunch?"

Allen tried to smile through the hood, masking his dim mood with that of a lighter one. It was a neat trick he had learned to perfect over the years of depression and abuse he'd gone through, a cover up to protect both himself and the ones he cared about from seeing what really lay beneath. "I'm fine, Lenalee, just really tired is all."

"What's he doing with his hood?" Lenalee turned a concerned glance to Lavi.

Allen tried to but in before his one eyed friend could answer. "Nothing, I'm fi-"

"He got hit." Lavi stated blatantly.

"What?" Lenalee's voice raised in shock and she moved the hood piece out of the way of Allen's face after haggling him for a bit. "Allen… this is…"

"It's nothing! Lavi, why'd you do that?"

"Because she's gonna find out eventually! A bruise that big isn't exactly easy to hide Allen. Did you expect to avoid us for how ever many weeks until it got better?" Lavi stood with both hands on his hips and a look similar to one a mother would give a child while chiding them.

Allen snorted and moved on. "I've gotta get to work, guys. If I miss this bus I miss my only chance of getting there." He stormed off, but felt Lavi and Lenalee still following behind him.

"We're only looking out for you, Allen!" Lenalee declared. He knew he was being difficult… He knew he was making things worse but… He threw a hand to his head in frustration and resisted the urge to throw his head back and scream. Why did everyone always worry about him? He could handle himself…

He exited the school's gate, not looking where he was going and bumping into someone. He threw out a quick apology, eyes on the ground and tried to move around them. He got held back though and looked up, his breathing stopping for a second.

"…Link…?"

The blonde looked down at him with that same straight faced expression that never seemed to leave unless he was entirely embarrassed (which Allen thought was all the more cute). "You should look where you're going more, Walker." Allen felt a light spark go off in his brain at the name Walker, knowing it was just Link being Link and since they were in public he'd be even more Linky than usual. He watched the older blonde glance him over before asking, "Is everything alright?" It was a flat monotone, no emotion, no nothing. Allen could see past it though. Link was a lot like him where when he was concerned about someone important to him, his own emotion wouldn't leak out. Only when they were alone did Link sometimes let little cracks of shaking worry or anger slip out from his voice. Moments like those made Allen feel ecstatic, mostly because he knew he was the only one who ever got to see his partner like that.

"Everyone keeps asking me that."

"Then perhaps you look like something is the matter." They were keeping their distance, even though Allen wanted to throw his arms around Link and lay out all his inner feelings of being upset.

"I'm usually better at this." Allen commented. Their flat conversation was unsatisfactory to him. Link was the only person he really wanted to talk to right now, and they had to keep everything distanced and formal. "What brings you here?"

Link looked about before facing Allen again. "You have to catch a bus for work, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll drive you, I had something I wanted to talk to you about anyways."

"Oh?" Allen was about to ask what when his two friends caught up and stopped behind him. He sensed the air shift between Link and Lavi, like a static electricity current laying heavily over the surrounding party.

"Oh, Link!" Lenalee moved passed Allen and shook the college student's hand with a smile. "We don't really get to see you very much anymore! The last time was two weeks before summer ended, right?" _God bless this woman…_ Allen thought. He knew Lenalee probably had some inner problem with him dating Link as well, whether it be his being twenty years old, his stiff demeanor, or the fact that he worked for the Leverrier family of whom her brother wasn't very politically fond of. But she sucked it up for Allen's sake and it gave him a whole new respect for her.

"It's been a while, Miss Lee." Link politely shook back and then turned back to his partner. "Could we go somewhere more private?"

"What you gonna suck his face off?" Lavi bitterly interjected.

Link snorted. "I'm not so primitive as you, Junior."

"Guys!" Lenalee held out her arms between the two and scolded both older males with the authority that made her so prominent in Allen' group of friends. "Quit arguing like little kids! You can put up with each other for Allen's sake, yes?"

Lavi turned to the side and grumbled something unintelligible whereas Link simply nodded and beckoned to Allen. "Let's go, Walker."

"We're coming with you!" Lavi stormed up by Allen's side and took up a defensive stance.

"Lavi you don't need to-" Allen started but got cut off.

"You got hit, Al, and I'll be damned if something similar happens just because I left you in the care of this long haired twig."

Link scowled and looked like he might bite back, but regained his composure and sighed heavily. Allen could almost feel the head ache radiating from his boyfriend's temples. "Whatever. It's not like it even really matters."

"If we can hurry this up that would be cool." Allen deadpanned. His friends were really a hassle at times… "I have work in under an hour and I can't afford to be late."

The four of them headed to an unoccupied path that lead from the school into a forestry park area (Lenalee came along, probably to stop any more spats the red head and blonde might start with each other). Allen felt his heart skip a beat, knowing that if they were taking this much care not to be seen then whatever Link had to talk about must be dealing with their relationship. They didn't go in too deep, just enough so no one still on the school grounds would be able to see them. There was enough foliage around so that if anyone were to come from any direction, it could be heard relatively early.

"This should be good…" Link stated, giving the woods a quick scan. "Walker, I want to give you something."

"W-what?" Allen felt a blush creeping and mentally shook his head to rid himself of it. "Like what?"

"Like his twenty year old virginity." Lavi sneered before being heavily smacked on the back of the head by Lenalee.

"Ha, ha. Sorry I'm not a crazed animal like some people." Allen glared at Link disapprovingly and the older composed himself before continuing on. "I think it's important you have this…" Link dug in his pocket and fished something out, placing it in Allen's hand gently.

"Link-!" Allen almost felt himself grow angry with the object in his hand. Not because it was an insulting gift, far from it, but he'd seen them in stores and knew how much they cost.

"Wait, what is it?" Lavi hovered over Allen's shoulder, looking into his hands. "Oh nice move, rich boy." It was a shiny new cell phone, one of those flip phone blackberry things with the boxy shape and built in keyboard.

"Link I can't accept this.." Allen mumbled quietly. There was no way he could ever pay off something like this, not with him chasing down all of his Uncle's debts that the man never paid.

"You're accepting it whether you want to or not." Link declared. "You need to have some way to contact people if you're ever in trouble. I've already signed you up with my plan, so you don't have to worry about any expenses. You have unlimited texting, and more minutes than you'll probably ever need, so if you have to reach anyone like me or the Bookman idiot, or anyone else who can help you, there won't be any trouble in doing so."

"No more skipping out on phone calls, just because you're Uncle doesn't pay off the phone bills, right Allen?" Lenalee smiled at him and Allen continued to stare down at the piece of technology.

"But… I'll never be able to pay you back…" Allen felt his chest constrict, almost like he was going to cry again. He was absolutely useless to Link. Pathetic. Sometimes he wasn't even sure why the older kept him around…

"Allen." The white haired teen's ears piqued with shock. He looked up to confirm who the voice had come from and found Link's crimson eyes staring right into his. "Forget about the money for once. I got this for you so that I could make sure nothing happens to you." Allen felt Link's hands close his over the phone. "Just take it, ok?"

Allen couldn't find any words so he just nodded and put the phone in his pocket. He looked back and instantly reddened upon finding his friends standing there looking back at him.

"You really fall for that cheesy shit?" Lavi drawled before Lenalee's elbow pounded into his stomach.

She smiled and said, "Don't listen to him, Allen. Lavi doesn't understand what's like to actually be emotionally attached to someone."

"I do too!"

Allen let out a short laugh and gave his friends a nervous glance. "Do you think you guys could…?" He cut short, not wanting to directly tell them to leave.

Lavi stood there for a minute with a vacant glaze in his eyes, but Lenalee got it and dragged the red head along with one last wink at Allen. He took in a deep breath, holding it until they disappeared through the bare trees. Allen turned back to Link, watching as the stiff stance he had held with the others around melted and the blonde became more relaxed.

"How much more time do you have before you have to be at work?" Link said.

"About thirty minutes…"

"How long does I take to get there?"

"Driving from here to there, about fifteen…"

"May I…?" The older stepped forward, reaching out a shaky hand. Allen ran forward and wrapped his arms around Link's neck as he had wanted to earlier, drinking in the natural scent his partner's hair gave off. "Allen, what's wrong?" Link's deeper voice brushed against the sophomore's ears, tickling them and sending a pleasant shiver down his spine. Allen let out a sigh of satisfaction, glad to finally have this opportunity after trying to avoid people all day.

"My cheek hurts…" The teen whispered, referring to the light throbbing he had been experiencing all of today and half of yesterday when he got the damned bruise. He felt one of Link's arms unwrap from around his waist and cup his right cheek gently, those deep red eyes scanning him, making Allen feel exposed. If there was ever a moment where he wanted to kiss Link more than anything in the world, this was it. He wanted to so bad… But he knew Link would either become furious and throw a fit, pass out and leave Allen dry with no ride, or vomit and spend the rest of the day in nervous sickness. Despite his outward and rather strict demeanor, Allen could see right into Link's hard shell and into the soft personality that lived within. The older student was fragile, one wrong move and he'd fall apart, but Allen felt relatively similar at times… These moments they'd been sharing the past three days or so had been making Allen want more.. More of Link, more time with him, more touching, more feeling, more sharing of emotions…

Allen felt Link press his forehead against his and gently stroke his cheek, making he younger try to control his breathing which had quickened in pace. The only sound he could hear was the ever so slight whistling of Link's nose when he breathed and the occasional plopping of snow on the ground as it fell off of branches here and there. Their breaths were being displayed in front of them, Allen smiling as he saw Link's puff clouds going as fast as his were. He put a hand over the older's chest, feeling the fast rated heart beat that rivaled his own and heard Link let out a small noise from the back of his throat.

Link brought their noses tip to tip, and they both stood there with their eyes closed and drinking in the other's crystalized breath. "As soon as you turn sixteen, I'm kissing you." The older whispered.

Allen tipped his head just a bit, bringing their lips that much closer. "You could now if you wanted to…" He didn't have to be looking at Link to know the man was now blushing as furiously as he was.

"Our lips would freeze together. "Allen let out a little laugh and heard Link release something similar. He'd never heard Link laugh before… It was kind of dry and odd sounding, but hearing it made Allen feel a bout of happiness he'd never experienced before. The last time he remembered being this happy, it had been with Mana… He pushed the thought out of his head, not wanting the past to ruin this moment alone with the human being he was pretty sure he was in love with.

"And then we'd have to go to the hospital like that," Allen continued, still giggling with their lips only two centimeters apart.

"And then they'd ask our ages and throw me in jail after branding me a pedophile," Link chuckled, closing in just a little more…

"You're an average day John Proctor." The younger teased, referring to the play they were reading in English in which a thirty five year old man slept with an eighteen year old girl (Though in the actual historical event John Proctor was about sixty, and the girl he'd had an affair with, Abigail, was almost twelve).

Link let out a full laugh, catching Allen by surprise and holding his older partner when the blonde leaned forward and rested his forehead on Allen's shoulder to ride out his fit. He'd never seen Link like this… Not ever… And since Link was laughing so much, he himself started laughing and they both held onto each other, cackling like a couple of fools. If anyone were to walk by and see them, they'd label them as a pair of crazies and go along their day wondering what could have possibly been so funny.

Eventually the two settled down, but continued to hold each other, basking in warmth that didn't exist for another block or so from where they stood. When Allen stood back a little to regard Link, he was greeted with someone he didn't fully recognize. Link was still smiling, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped in the deadly giggling fit he had suffered. Allen put a hand on the back of Link's head, petting his braid and grinning while he enjoyed the returned quiet with his partner. It was a moment Allen wouldn't ever forget… Link wearing an expression of happiness and laughing with him… It was something he was sure not many other people had gotten to experience, and he absolutely cherished the idea that this side of the blonde could be reserved for him.

He was caught off guard though, as the man held his face gingerly and kissed both of his cheeks. They were soft and deliberate, and each one was placed on either the bruise marring Allen's right cheek, or the nasty scar tearing into his left. He couldn't breath for a moment and made a light choking sound in the back of throat upon feeling the heat from Link's lips on his face. The older pulled back and held Allen in regard, the previously joyful expression now replaced with one of insecurity. Link's eyebrow's knitted together, the red dotted tattoos on his forehead creasing slightly. To make certain the college student didn't regret his action, Allen hugged the man and jokingly remarked, "That was all kinds of illegal, Link."

"It's illegal for you to be so…" Link drifted off, the last echoes of his sentence lingering on Allen's ear drum.

The younger brought himself right next to his partner's ear and huskily breathed, "So what?"

"Beautiful…"

Allen pulled away, looking Link in the face expecting to see some kind of reddish tint or grimace of embarrassment. Instead he was met with a look he couldn't read, and no matter how hard he tried there were no breaks or cracks that could give away which emotion his partner was experiencing right now. It made his stomach flip flop around and the hefty lunch he had eaten earlier threatened to come back up. "Link don't just say things like that…" His voice was barely audible to himself, even in these near silent conditions.

"I never just say anything, Allen." Link rubbed a soft thumb under Allen's eye, caressing his scar. "I've always been completely honest with you. You're absolutely beautiful to me…" He pointed at Allen's scar, "Here." He pet Allen's strangely bleach white hair, "Here." He ran his hand down Allen's left arm, sending shivers up the boy's spine, "here." He then traced his hand and touched the disgusting bruise lightly. The simple touch sent sparks up through Allen's nerves, the contradicting cold weather and Link's somehow warm hands merging together into a format he couldn't explain with words. "The only ugly part is here, because it's not supposed to be there. But eventually it'll go away and you'll be one hundred percent Allen again. No one should mark you unless they do so with care."

Ooo. Oooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo. Ooo.

Allen fell on his bed, heaving an exhausted sigh from running around at work all day. He worked as a waiter at one of the local restaurants and this night he got absolutely killed. He had made good tips though, and sat up to count them out, putting them away in a hidden drawer so Cross wouldn't ever find them. He wasn't allowed to relax long though, for tonight at one of the eighteen and older clubs there was a poker competition, and he planned on earning some good winnings. It was one of the things he never told Link about… His tendency to illegally gamble in underage places was something the older male would definitely disapprove of, but all the same it was difficult for Allen to make a living for himself without the extra cash. Cross had made an environment where if Allen wanted to survive, he'd have to do so on his own. It was harsh upbringing, but people don't get to choose their guardians so Allen was stuck living on his own for the most part.

He took a quick shower, put on some decent clothing, and grabbed the fake ID Lavi had made for him to help him get into such places. Cross wasn't home and probably wouldn't be for a while, which was fine by Allen. He didn't want his uncle finding out about his poker abilities or else the debts might increase ten fold. He jumped when he heard a ringtone go off in his pocket, suddenly remembering about the phone Link had bought him. He checked the number, surprised to see Lavi's name display since he hadn't put in any contacts yet.

_Link must have put in my friends for me already… _He answered the phone, putting on some socks and shoes in the process. "Hello?"

"Yo! Allen buddy! You ready for tonight?"

"Could you quit acting like we're going to a party?" Allen scolded, puffing his cheek in annoyance. "This is serious, I need you to cover me, ok?"

"Haha, don't sweat it, buddy! I'll drive u there and get you in, no problem at all! The bouncer's a friend of mine too, so even if you get caught or he suspects the ID might be fake he'll still let you in.

"Good." Allen finished his shoes and sat on his bed, counting out a decent sum of money he could use to start out with. By the end of the night he'd have at least five times this, for he was skilled and incredibly talented when it came to poker. He cheated, of course, but there really was no way to help it unless he wanted to end up hungry or get kicked out. "When will you be here?"

"Ten minutes."

"Alright, see you then." Allen hung up and leaned back until he collapsed again onto the bed he never wanted to leave. His body ached and he was tired… But tonight the stress went a lot deeper than that. He couldn't stop thinking about Link… He'd had nights like these, weeks even, where his thoughts surrounded Link and only Link. He was afraid of his fondness for his partner… What if he became too clingy? What if someone found out and arrested Link? What if Cross kicked him out? What if Leverrier cut off Link financially? There was so much at risk even without these factors… One of them already coming to light what with Allen getting his face beat in and whatnot. But he wanted Link… Howard Link was the only soul Allen could think of that had ever called him beautiful… Not even Mana, and he loved Mana more than anyone, had ever said such a thing as far as he could remember. When Link had uttered that word to Allen, he'd wanted to cry right then and there. Several times lately he'd wanted to cry, to bawl up and scream out his problems to his beloved. But he didn't want to burden Link, or anyone really… Even now in his house all alone, he didn't dare cry over something so petty… He was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop and then Lavi might see him like that.

He could still feel the burning sensations on the marks where Link had kissed them. He brought up his left hand and looked at the twisted limb, turning it every which way he could and frowning at it. It was a horribly ugly thing, how could Link say it was beautiful? Even his friends never talked about his arm, or would try to avoid coming into situations where they'd have to touch it… But Link treated it so casually… It was just another part of Allen, as the blonde had put it. In fact whenever Link reached for a hand to grab, he reached for the left one, having no problem with coming into contact with it. It was something Allen wasn't used to, and it still seemed strange to him that anyone would want to even look at it. When he was a boy Mana had covered it up, saying that the other kids were monsters, and if they saw it they'd hurt him. Thinking back on it now, Mana'd had a strange way of doing things… But he was kind and had loved Allen. At least… He liked to believe so…. He liked to think his father had loved him despite leaving him in the care of a drunken maniac…

He let his hand drop back down and stared up at the ceiling instead. He giggled a little to himself, thinking back on Link laughing on his shoulder while they stood in the snowy forest practically shivering to death. Link laughing… The sound had been ringing in his ears and every time it did it brought a smile to his face. He closed his eyes, imagining the man's happy expression, his heart feeling light and his body tingling at the memory. What would Lavi think if he could've seen Link like that? Would he still feel the same? That Link was some big bad guy out to take advantage of Allen? If anything Allen felt he was taking advantage of Link, what with him buying him things all the time… Even the fancy vest he adorned now had been one of the gifts left on his doorstep due to him carelessly thinking out loud. The ribbon however, was Mana's. He always wore it around his neck in place of a tie or bowtie or some such. But lately he found the things that Link gave him as precious as the things Mana had left him… It was a conflicting feeling… On one side he was glad to have someone who meant so much to him again, but on the other he didn't want to forget Mana…

His phone rang again and he answered promptly. "Yes?"

"I'm downstairs. Get your shit, and let's go bro!" The line went dead and Allen sighed heavily. He didn't want to do this tonight… To have to sit at a table of old men and young losers for any amount of hours while he swindled them out of large sums of cash. Meanwhile Lavi, who was the one responsible for getting him in, would be at the bar with his own fake ID, collecting women (occasionally a cute boy) and choosing which one he'd take home with him later that night. It was the one instance in which Allen truly disliked his friend. What with the one eye, the crimson red hair and the womanizing tendencies… He was an exact copy of a younger Cross. But Lavi was still a huge help in many regards, so Allen put up with it, acting as he did when putting up with Cross and having to explain to whatever woman he decided to walk out on in their own house some mornings that they'd been duped and should probably go home.

He checked a mirror, straightening the ribbon and patting his hair down before giving himself a fake smile and headed outside into the frigid temperature.

The long day wasn't over yet… And he wasn't sure how much he was looking forward to the rest of it.

**Are you guys feeling happy yet? **

**It would be a shame if something bad were to happen... WOULDN'T IT.**

**Yes, yes... Quite a shame...**

**Quite a shame indeed :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ah the day has finally come...**

**I've been excited to upload this chapter since when I first started this story... Probably because I'm a horrible person.**

Chapter 5

Lavi and Allen strode up to the booming club, both wearing rather classy attire.

The red head looked forward to these nights where both he and his right hand man, Allen, went and stormed a place and left with buckets of cash and hordes of women. Allen was never interested in the women, and Lavi was never interested in the cash, so they were able to keep their respective interests and split up as soon as Allen was accounted for and allowed inside the building. Tonight he had absolute confidence though, the bouncer, Daiysia, was a good friend of his who he'd met through knowing Kanda, and he'd already called the guy beforehand to ask for Allen's allowance. He'd had to pay his bro about thirty bucks (Daiysia was a good friend, but the asshole kind), but that was a small price to pay to be able to go in and enjoy themselves. Well… He would anyhow.. Allen on the other hand…

He didn't get it, honestly. Allen used to rather enjoy going into a club and making a scene. The kid could cheat like no other, and he did it in a way that was impossible to get him caught. The young card shark with a taste for revenge had never lost once, which made him a valuable betting asset for Lavi as well. The poker players weren't the only gamblers. Outside the ring, people would bet who would win, and of course the kid with the odd colored hair and timidly polite personality was always scored against. However Allen always won, no exceptions. Lavi was sure he could go pro with his amazing talent, but Allen always waved him off, telling him that such an occupation could only be asking for trouble. Lavi would always bet on him though, and always get away with large sums of cash of his own. Whatever he didn't need he gave to Allen, since he knew Allen relied on his own income a lot more than Lavi did. But ever since his young compadre had started dating that incessant little meal worm, Dink or whatever the hell his name was… Allen just didn't seem that into going out to gamble anymore.

He greeted Daiysia with a bro-fist and they both presented their IDs, Lavi making himself older so he could hit the alcohol corner and hit on women at least three years ahead of him. Once in, they located the poker table which was setting up for the evening, Allen taking a seat with some rich looking haunchos and the red head going his own way to get a drink. He got himself a hefty scotch, winking to the waitress (which, now that he thought back on it probably looked like a weird blink..) and situated himself a short ways away from the poker table. He was close enough to watch over, and to pull Allen out of there if any serious shit went down (people were not always graceful losers).

Once at least ten people were at the table the game started and along with it the betting. Lavi placed fifty dollars to Allen's name, smiling to himself upon seeing he was the only one betting on his friend. He glanced around the room, taking in every detail with careful precision, and setting down his drink with class when a scantily dressed woman with orange-ish hair and strange tattoos sat relatively close by. He thought the short stature was kind of cute too, she was maybe, what, like 5'2? Maybe less? Definitely less. He scooted a little closer to her and cleared his throat.

"S'cuse me, miss? Wouldya like a drink?" He held out his hand and gave a winning grin.

She scowled at him and bit back, "Bite me, phlegm wad."

"Ooohoo! Feisty, are we?"

"Back off loser, or I'll kick your ass."

"That sounds like a challenge."

Lavi was still grinning until the woman got up from her seat and grabbed his head, smashing it down upon the table with a good amount of force. "Name's Fou, fucker. Better not mess with me."

"Got it.." He squeaked, head slightly dizzy from the impact. "No messing… I'll just chill here, kay?"

She snorted and let go, stalking away and leaving a very diminished Lavi in her wake. He wiped his chin of the spittle that had escaped and huffed, seeing now that tonight was probably not going to be his night… He looked over to Allen who was wearing that friendly smile of his, the one that only those closest to Allen knew was entirely fake, as he gathered a large bunch of chips and placed them over to his side. A residual groan could be heard around the table as they realized they'd all been duped by this young sprout.

He chuckled to himself and took another sip of his drink, almost spitting it out at the sight one very unpleasant figure. He gritted his teeth and tried to lay low, not wanting to ditch Allen just because of his petty annoyances. _Please God don't let him see me… Please God don't let him see me…_ The man turned directly to his area though and smirked upon locking eyes with the red head, making him inwardly curse the very God he had just been praying to. _It's because I'm Jewish, isn't it._

The man came to his table and took a seat next to Lavi without even asking as to whether or not the seat was taken. Lavi was looking forward, avoiding even the idea that he may have noticed his unpleasant new table mate come in.

"Bit young for drinking don't you think?" The man cooed, getting too close for comfort and making Lavi almost jump.

"Whaddya want, Mikk."

"Well I think that's obvious, my lovely little Eye Patch."

Lavi rolled his eyes and continued sipping away, wishing that he'd told Daiysia about this asshole before arriving. Tyki Mikk was an esteemed member of the Noah family from what he had heard. The Noahs were rather rich and known for being elegant, though he heard the family'd been having some troubles in that regard lately. The thought crossed his mind that Allen's mystery uncle was apparently part of the Noah family, and he couldn't seem to wrap his head around the fact that Allen might somehow be related to this creep. Tyki was what one would call a grade A stalker. Ever since about five months ago when Lavi had gotten really drunk (for reasons he wouldn't specify) and somehow ended up sleeping with the weird man, he'd been followed almost every time he went out. It sucked because the guy was actually really attractive: tall, dark and handsome, long curly black hair that came down to shoulders but stayed pinned up for the most part, and he was rich to boot. Any woman would kill to have him, except for the fact that he gave off a weird aura. Usually Lavi didn't go off things like auras or bad feelings… But this guy… And it didn't help that after his mistake of allowing himself into the weirdo's bed, Tyki hadn't let up on trying to re-spark whatever the fuck it was his drunk goggles had seen in him.

"Mikk, I've told you once, I'll tell you again. What we had, there was nothing." He turned, facing the older man now. "I was hella drunk, depressed, whatever, you were just some void filler, ok?"

"Are you saying that void is filled now?" Tyki smirked, lightly a cigarette he'd grabbed from his pocket.

"I'm fine now, I was fine then. Quite messin' with me, man."

"Just let me take you out to-"

"No."

"Tut, tut, little Eye Patch." Lavi felt himself digging his fingernails into his other hands and stopped himself upon realizing the action. "Let's say we make a deal. You love deals, don't know?"

Lavi snorted and tossed back the rest of his scotch, feeling a slight buzz starting to ring in his head. Maybe he should stop now in case he did something stupid while drunk again. "Depends on the deal, Mikk."

"Let's say I join that little crew over there," he pointed to the poker table, "and play against your little white haired friend. If I win, You let me have one night with you. If he wins I'll tell you some information about my family you'd love to hear about."

Lavi froze, almost drooling at the opportunity to get in on some of the Noah's secrets. He was a journalist in training, as his entire family was, the Bookmans were practically addicted to things like gossip, small rumors, bringing hidden topics to light. He faced Tyki again, grinning widely. He knew exactly how this was going to end. "You have yourself a deal, Mikk."

They shook on it and the older man smoothly got up from the table and glided to the other. It was a shame the guy was so strange, Lavi might've actually taken him up on a date willingly if it wasn't for the fact that he didn't want to be murdered in his sleep.

Oooooooo. OOOOOOOOOOOOO. OoooooOOOOOOOOO. OooooooooOOOOO.

Allen shuffled a deck of cards and smiled kindly to the gentlemen who had just lost large amounts of their pay check to the younger boy. He had been killing them tonight, and despite his earlier exhaustion he was now fully pumped to take on whatever challenge came his way. It didn't matter though, for he always won. Always. It was like an obsession of his, every time he entered a card game or roulette or any form of gambling really, he felt his blood start pumping.

Now the table was assembling a new cast, including a tall and good looking business man type who regarded Allen for a second before sitting down. Allen mentally scoffed, wondering if the sleek cat knew what he was in for. He handed the cards to the dealer, who upon taking them, looked them through and shuffled again themself since they thought Allen might be cheating (which he was). Each player got their cards and the game commenced.

It wasn't even twenty minutes when all but Allen and the sleek man remained, Allen winning by a load and the man a close second. The man sucked on his cig thoughtfully and then threw his cards down, shaking his head slowly.

"I give up, the boy's too good for me." He said before getting up and passing his chips over to Allen.

Allen smiled winningly and held out a hand. "Good game."

"If only it could've been." The man replied and left the table, walking like he was going to exit the building until Allen saw Lavi jump up out of his seat and go after him. The white haired teen shook his head, knowing that Lavi must have placed some sort of weird bet on him as he usually did. He collected all of his winnings and brought them over to the bar's center to be counted in an exchanged for cash. He tucked his receipt away into his pocket and went in the direction Lavi ran off to, ready to go home and catch some sleep before school tomorrow.

The red head was no where to be seen apparently, which made Allen worry and start searching around. He walked out one of the doors, coming from a smoke room and out into a dark street way with no occupants. The door closed behind him and he rushed forward, trying to get back in, but found himself locked out. He cursed inwardly, knowing that all the cash wasn't his until he presented his receipt by the end of the night.

He decided to go around and try to find the front door again, seeing how that was how he got in the first time. It took a while though, finding the direction of it; he didn't know these streets well and running around at this time of night was dangerous. He jumped when he heard a crashing sound over across the way, immediately turning to where he thought it came from. There two figures, not too bulky looking, and they were smashing away at some trash cans with base ball bats from what it looked like.

He tried to disregard them, seeing how it was too dark to make out if he knew them or not anyways and continue looking for the front door. At last he found the lighted opening with Daiysia standing out front, and started walking to it before a rough hand grabbed him back.

"What's up, Andy?" He stood stock still, recognizing the voice instantly. He tried to free himself from the grip, but was blocked and grabbed at the front by a familiar figure with blonde hair and stitched piercings. "Oi, Jazz! From the looks of it this guy's already been in the club!"

Allen willed himself to vanish… anything…. He attempted to break free and run but the twin boys had a strict hold on him. He felt his heart racing, a cold sweat starting to form over his brow. _Why tonight? Why…?_ He felt himself being dragged backwards and he did the only thing he could think of, start screaming at the top of his lungs. "LAVI! LAVIIII! ANYONE, HELP!" A hand was thrown over his mouth and he watched as Daiysia regarded it for a minute before turning back. He was tossed onto the ground of a different dark alleyway, busted up trash cans lining it up, no doubt from these two destructive brutes. As soon as he hit the ground he jumped up and tried to run passed them, only to be grabbed again and held by Jazdero from his arms.

"Faggot's got some balls, huh Jazzy?"

"Hii!"

Allen felt himself turning desperate. Any way to get out… Anything… He just wanted to go home… He didn't even care about the money he'd won anymore… Just please God let him go home safely…

"You know what we do to cock sucking faggots like you, Andy?" Devit was now pacing back and forth in front of Allen, pulling a lighter from his pocket. Allen jumped and tried to escape with new force, but no avail. The lighter was lit and put up directly to his face, causing him to whimper and throw his head back against Jazdero. "We take all the things that make them so faggoty and burn them! Want to see?" Devit pulled the string that held his ribbon and draped it from around Allen's neck. Allen felt a skip in his heart beat and a refreshed amount of energy.

"No! NO! DON'T! THAT'S MANA'S-"

A hand was clamped over his mouth again and he muffled through, watching as Devit grinned and held a lighter under the pretty red ribbon. "Oh you mean this? Is it important to you?" He held it closer, Allen flinching against the other bully and staring wide eyed. "Too bad it's so fucking gay, right Jazzy?"

"Right! Hii!"

With that Allen watched as the dark haired boy lit up his ribbon, his chest constricting at the sight of the last thing Mana gave him going up in flames. He was still now, no longer putting in any effort into getting away. His heart sank. He wasn't getting out of this. Not tonight.

Next Devit grabbed up one of the baseball bats he'd been beating trash cans with earlier, grabbing Allen's chin and turning it upwards. "That bruise really suits you, Andy. Let's see if we can give you a few more to go with it!"

OooooooooOOOOO. OOOOOOOooooooo. OooOOOOOOOO. OOOOoooooooooOOOO.

Lavi had been running around the place for a good ten minutes now, looking for his younger friend. He was gone from the poker table, and there was no sight of him anywhere in the entire club. It wasn't like he was hard to recognize either, though he had mistaken an old man from the back once, but only because of the white hair.

"C'mon Allen… Where are you?" Suddenly he remembered Allen's new cell phone and grinned, pulling his own out. "I'll have to thank that grubby Two Spot later." He dialed Allen's number and held the phone to his ear, waiting for someone to answer. When no one did he dropped his arm down and started to feel a wave of concern come over him. He tried to think over every place that the kid might have gone, deciding to check around the more adult oriented rooms. He entered a place filled with cigarette smoke and gagged a little. A cig here and there was fine for him, but as of right now it reminded him of the untrustworthy man who had broken their deal and ran off. He searched around, looking under couches (which was ridiculous, no one could fit under those, not even Allen…), asking the room occupants if they had seen him.

He continued looking until he heard a pounding from somewhere in the room and the sound of struggling. He got up, looking around, but saw nothing. It came again though, and finally he pin pointed the noise to a thick metal door. On the other side came severe pounding, and someone screaming to be let in.

At this point all the people in the room were staring at the door, all chatter stopping, making the cries of help easier to hear. Lavi's stomach lurched when he recognized it as Allen's voice and rushed forward to open the metal barrier.

Allen fell forward from outside, immediately collapsing on the floor and taking a tight fetal position. Lavi was about to lean down when he heard Allen shouting, "CLOSE IT! CLOSE IT!" The red head slammed the door shut and locked it, not too soon afterwards hearing the sound of metal banging on metal and a voice from the other side.

"We know you're in there faggot!"

Lavi pulled back and stared wide eyed from the door and down to Allen. The boy was up against a wall, clutching the side of his chest and whimpering every so often. Lavi bent down and tried to think of something to do. There were smeary blood stains blotching up Allen's white shirt sleeves, and some showing through the dark vest he wore. In his left hand he was clutching the ribbon he'd been wearing earlier, now half burned and mostly gone.

"Allen, what the fuck happened, man?"

Allen tightened his balled up posture even more, yelping at the effort and letting out shaky breaths. "I want to go…" His voice was raspy, probably hoarse from all the screaming he must have been doing…

"Go? Ok, buddy we'll get out of here, ok?" He put a hand on the boy's shoulder, beckoning him to get up, but Allen ignored it. "Come on, man, do you think you can walk?"

Allen simply resumed his whimpering and shook his head. Lavi caught a glimpse of his face, seeing a stream of blood coming from the boy's mouth along with a great deal of spit. Allen's expression was contorted into one of excruciating pain and a few tears were starting to leak out. The one eyed senior bit his lip and reached an arm under Allen, the other beneath his friend's knees. He hauled the boy up, carrying Allen through the growing crowd of onlookers and tried to avoid making any eye contact with them. He decided to go out the front door, since the other door was no longer safe.

Once out the night air sent a chill down his spine. Not to mention the idea that whoever had done this was still out there and could possibly jump out at any moment didn't make his shivering any better. He put Allen in the back seat of his car so his friend wouldn't have to uncurl from his current position of whatever comfort the boy could obtain. "Allen, I think I should take you to the hospital…"

The boy started shaking his head, his mouth moving but no words except for a few gaspy cries escaping.

"Allen… You're hurt bad right now, right? I'll drive you, it's no big deal…" He ran a hand through his friend's hair, feeling his dinner threaten to come back up as he ran into a sticky matt of blood staining his friend's pure hair color.

"No…" Allen barely whispered, even Lavi, who's hearing was rather magnificent, had to lean closer. "I want to go…"

"To the hospital?"

"No… No…" Allen let out a cry and more tears started to escape. "Please…"

"Allen I don't understand…" Lavi felt like he might start crying too… He desperately wanted to help his friend, but he couldn't understand him! He resigned with using yes or no answers. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"No…"

"Do you want to go home?"

"No…."

"Do you want to leave?"

Allen hiccupped and clutched his chest tighter, letting out a fresh cry. "Yes… Please…"

Lavi bit his lip, trying to stop himself from yelling at the poor teen. "Allen, just tell me where you want to go…"

"Leave…I want to…" Now that they were out of the building and away from the crowds, Allen was racking with sobs, making it hard for Lavi to understand what little his companion said. "Not here… Not home… Not hospital…" The red head was about to lose his wits when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Hey, are they alright?"

He turned around to see the chick he'd tried to hit on earlier walking with her arm around some Asian blonde about Allen's height, baffled that she was still dressed as she was in this chilly weather. "No… I think I need to call an ambulance.."

Allen grabbed his shirt sleeve, still clutching the little piece of ribbon while doing so. "No… No…"

The Asian perked up, raising an arm to talk. "I'm a certified doctor, if that helps any…"

Lavi briefly thanked the heavens before nodding and standing off to the side, letting the shorter man come through and look inside the back seat car door. "Jesus, what happened to him?"

"I don't know…" Lavi felt his voice shaking, trying to calm himself._ You'll be no help to anyone hysterical, just relax._ "I went looking for him and heard him pounding on a door so I let him in… I think someone was chasing him but I didn't see who…"

"You know this kid?" The man asked without looking up. He prodded Allen someplace and the red head heard the younger call out in return.

"He's my friend… Is he gonna be ok..?" If there was something Lavi needed to do, he wanted to do it as soon as possible. Allen was hurt and whatever best method there was to help him needed to be applied ASAP.

The blond stood up, scratching the back of his head with a look of concern. "You should definitely take him to the hospital… He got beat pretty bad…"

"What all's wrong with him?" Lavi felt his heart pounding, knowing he was certainly going to get in trouble with this from pretty much all sides. Lenalee would break out into tears, Gramps would yell at him for being out so late, And Link… Shit. He did not want to think about what the twenty year old would do once finding out his beloved Allen had been beat to crap. The only one who might remain indifferent was Kanda, but Kanda never gave a shit about anything…

"At least one of his ribs are broken, possibly two, but the other one might just be bruised… The back of his head is split, so he's definitely going to need stitches back there… Also he's got some internal bleeding from whatever he was being hit with, which is why his mouth's bleeding.." Lavi remembered hearing whatever it was banging on the door once he'd let Allen in and winced at the memory.

"I'll take him then…"

"If you want, I'll call in advance for you, just give them this card…" The doctor fished out a card from his pocket and handed it to the red head. "My name's Bak Chan, so tell them that when you arrive. He'll get attention sooner. Oh, and remember to go to the hospital off Tearson's Street."

Lavi nodded, shaking a little and feeling completely inefficient. Suddenly his heart stopped entirely, hearing a foreign ringtone. He listened closely, getting a sinking feeling when realizing the sound was coming from Allen's pocket. _Please don't be who I think it is…_

Bak and his companion walked off, giving a slight wave while Lavi fished Allen's phone out from his pants, gagging a little at the sight of his friend's blood being smeared onto his hands. The white haired teen was shivering violently, chilly air along with crying spasms sending the thin frame into a fit of hysteria. Lavi answered the phone, closing Allen's door and turning the heat on before resuming his stance against his car outside.

"Hello?"

"Why are you answering?" Lavi felt a wave of fear as he heard Link's voice come over the speaker.

"Oh w-well you know… It's late and all… So Allen's asleep… and yeah.."

"Walker just got off of work, didn't he…?" Link replied back. Shit… Did Allen include the routine of their Monday night gambling into his work schedule? In a way it was brilliant, that way the older blonde would never know. Then he realized he just fucked his own alibi.

"O-oh yeah! Haha! Silly me! Slipped my mind…!"

"Junior."

"Um, yeah?"

"Why do you have Walker's phone."

Lavi bit his lip, starting to shiver more due to the cold. "He didn't really know how to work it yet, so I answered for him.."

"Well then, can I talk to him?"

"Um… You know Allen's really tired…"

"Then just let me say goodnight."

"You know, you can greet him later or something.."

There was a pause and Lavi thought maybe Link had finally given up… "Lavi…"

"Yes?" He almost choked on his own spit, knowing that Link was serious if he was using his first name.

"Where's Allen?" There was a hint of worry from the other line and Lavi could feel the guilt building up.

"He's in the back of my car…" Well that at least wasn't a lie…

"Something's wrong…"

"N-no! Nothing's wrong! Ahaha! You keep worrying like this and you'll grow a third spot and then I'll have to call you Three Spot!" That was only the shittiest cover up he'd ever created.

"Be honest with me!" Lavi held the phone away as Link yelled into the other end. He grimaced, knowing if he didn't tell the truth he'd be in even deeper shit.

"Alright… Alright." Lavi took in a huge breath, fearing for his life against the strict policy college student. "Allen's kind of… Well he's…"

"He's what? Where is he?"

"Well he actually is in the back of my car…"

"Will you just tell me what happened?" There was no cover up now, Link's concern was ringing crystal clear in Lavi's ear. Now he was starting to see why Allen might stick to him so much…

"I need to take Allen to the hospital…"

"Hospital…"

"He got taken out by some thugs or something… A doctor guy checked him out and said we should go…"

"Allen's going to the hospital…"

The high school senior pinched the bridge of his nose. He could still hear Allen crying and moaning from the back of his car, the sound resonating darkly against his ear drums. Thinking on it now, maybe the best person for this wasn't him… "Hey Two Spot you super busy or anything?"

"WHY THE HELL DOES HE NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL!"

Lavi held the phone out again like it was going to attack him. "Calm down! I was thinking… You should meet us there… Because right now he's not really listening to me, but I think he'd listen to you…"

"Which hospital."

"The one off Tearson Street…"

"I'm on my way." With that the line went dead and Lavi shut Allen's cell promptly. He ran over to the driver's seat, almost slipping in the snow and started up his car. It was a newer model and his Gramps had put on the chains for him so dealing with snow probably wouldn't be too hard. He'd take on this weather every day of the week if he could avoid meeting Link right now… He shook his head and started backing out, driving with a little bit of speed upon hearing Allen moaning behind him. Allen didn't usually cry about his own problems… So the fact that he was as vocal as he was right now meant the boy was in a great deal of pain. The red head gritted his teeth and sped as much as he dared in this snow… Flakes had started falling which made vision a bit of a problem. He wasn't going to risk a crash though… Little help he would be if while trying to take Allen to the hospital he totaled the car, which would probably kill his younger friend since putting on a seat belt had been too much of a hassle.

A little over ten minutes and he'd made it to his destination, pulling into the emergency parking lot, and inwardly cursing upon seeing Link's fancy Audi situated with the blond leaning against it. He parked his own car, which really wasn't all that bad unless you compared it to Link's… He turned off the ignition and stepped out, meeting face to face with the one individual he could say he never felt fond of. He'd made many attempts at trying to befriend Allen's boyfriend, but Link was overly stuffy and proud and would have none of it.

"Where's Allen." Eyes of bloody crimson locked his of emerald green, Lavi gulping at the intensity coming off his friend's partner.

"Back seat…" Link pushed passed him, but before the man could open the door Lavi held him back. "He's hurt real bad right now, so be careful when touching him…"

Link regarded him for a second before nodding and opening the door, stopping short upon doing so. Lavi was expecting the older student to freak out, flip shit, punch him in the nose… Something that would frighten the red head and make him regret inviting the man. Instead he watched as Link bent down and started whispering to Allen, making the sobs subside a little. The red head sighed, knowing that he'd never be able to comfort Allen like Link could, and that fact really pissed him off.

Despite Allen being his best friend, and the only one Lavi could truly rely on… He felt he was losing the white haired teen…

**I'M THE WORST KIND OF PERSON!**

**I've actually read over this chapter like five times (mistake checks and whatnot, if there are some I really am sorry), and every time even I feel bad about what I did here... But plot twists gotta show up somewhere, and what better than a brutal attack on an underaged boy?**

**Alright that came out wrong.**

**By the way if you have any love for Lavi at all you'll hang tight for the next, I dunno... like 17 chapters or so. It's gonna be a bumpy ride.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Happy Wednesday~!**

**For some reason I really like horrible events, so when writing chapters like the last one I have a way easier time of it than when happy nice things happen... That being said this chapter was lots of fun to write, so I hope you enjoy it despite the fact that I'm the Devil XD**

Chapter 6

Link halted at the sight that greeted him upon opening the door.

Allen was curled into a ball, badly broken looking with saliva and blood oozing out the boy's mouth. He'd seen Allen cry on a few rare occasions, but nothing like this… His stomach churned as Allen released throaty and violent sobs, the boy's body convulsing with each one. He swallowed and bent down, reaching inside the car and putting a gentle hand over his partner's head. He almost gasped when his fingers ran into Allen's now cold blood which was starting to congeal.

"Allen…"

Allen lifted his head slightly, eyes widening upon locking eyes with Link. The older's throat tightened at the state his beloved was in... Soft gray-lavender irises now a murky dark rain-cloud color and surrounded by puffy tear-stained cheeks. "L-Link…"

He pet Allen's head, keeping careful not to catch the wound or disrupt any part of the boy. "Everything's gonna be ok now. Can you tell me what happened?"

Allen hiccupped and shook his head, starting to curl back into his fetal position. "Y-you'll get mad…" Fresh tears poured out and Link shushed him quietly while moving his hand down and stroking his cheek.

"No, no. I promise not to be mad." He cooed into Allen's ear, listening as the younger's sobs started to subside slightly. "I just want to know what happened… I'm worried about you, is that ok?"

Allen gripped Link's vest and released a choking noise. "Don't hit Lavi…"

"I won't hit Lavi."

"Well, that's a relief for me…" Lavi stated behind him.

"Ginger, one more word out of you and I'm blowing this car to pieces."

"But you just said-"

"I'm not going to hit you out of respect to Allen." Link growled, his low and angry voice obviously having an effect on his least favorite moron. "But I'm guessing you were near Allen when this happened, yes?"

"…Y-yeah but-!"

"Then you should've stuck with him." Link snapped before turning back to Allen. "Maybe you should explain it to me later. I'm going to pick you up and carry you inside, unless you want Lavi to do it…" He inwardly grimaced, knowing that if Allen chose to be held by Lavi he'd suffer a jealousy fit.

"No…" Allen gripped tighter onto his sleeve, Link noticing the burned ribbon Allen was holding onto. "Link… Don't leave me…"

"I won't." Link kissed the top of his partner's head, currently not caring as to whether or not the red head saw. He avoided the bloody area though, not wanting to cover his face in Allen's life fluids… Link leaned over, carefully sliding an arm under Allen's back and another under the boy's legs. This time he did so without his heart threatening to jump out or any feelings of queasiness; perhaps urgency made him more efficient… Allen yelped and practically shouted out in pain on several occasions, but the blond tried to bite past that and keep his hold on him. Finally he was able to secure Allen in a tight grip, the earlier verbal screams dying down to a raggedy whimper. He could feel the boy's body fluctuate rapidly, moving accordingly to Allen's short and erratic breaths probably having to do with his left side which was being held onto tightly by the younger's right hand. "Everything's going to be ok, Allen. I've got you."

"Link…" Tears started leaking down Allen's cheek again, and the broken teen buried his face into Link's chest.

He turned to Lavi, both scowling at each other. "I suppose you want to come in with us."

"You're right.." The red head's expression softened into one of guilt, catching the college student by surprise. "I should've had a closer eye on Allen… So I'm gonna have to stick around until I know he's ok, whether you like it or not, Two Spot." Lavi grinned and Link sighed, turning without saying anything more and heading inside the building.

His hands started to become sweaty as they saw a line of people in the waiting room. Link was hoping that they'd just let Allen in, due to his drastic state, but one could never tell when it came to hospitals. The red head ran ahead of them, practically jumping over the counter and waving about a little business card.

"Bak Chan! Bak Chan said he'd reserve for us!" Lavi flailed and the girl at the counter scooted back a little. She was a short Asian girl with braided pigtails, leaving Link to wonder if this was some fad girls in their town were getting into.

She took the card and adjusted her glasses to examine it. "Oh yeah! He called not too long ago, go right in!" She smiled up at them before seeing Allen and putting a hand over her mouth. "W-what happened to him…?"

"Nasty accident, kay thanks, bye! Come on, Two Spot!" Link felt his sleeve get pulled and snorted, running after the red head while still being careful not bump Allen around. They were halted by a tall man with glasses and a beret who Link could swear he'd met before. Allen let out a breathy moan and hiccupped, reminding him that his partner had probably been suffering long enough.

"Can we set him down some place?" Feeling Allen heaving against him wasn't helping his patience any.

"Yeah, right over there in that room." The tall lad pointed over with his coffee cup. Lavi seemed to be staring at the man with a look of horror.

"Th-They sent you…?"

"I volunteered!" The taller male wore a hurt expression and sniffed. "As soon as Bak dear told me that a one eyed red head and a white headed kid with a giant scar over the side of his face needed assistance, I jumped the gun and got everything prepared for you guys-"

Link brushed past them abruptly, laying Allen down onto the bed with care. The younger was still clutching his vest, the knuckles on his right hand turning white as stone. Allen's face had gone incredibly pale, the once healthy shade of porcelain now a veiny ghost color. Sweat, tears and blood drenched his partner's face and he wiped some of it away with his sleeve cuff.

"Who's that?" He heard the tall man comment.

"Has Lenalee ever told you about someone named Howard Link…?" Lavi replied. They sounded like they were trying to talk in low voices, but Link could hear every word, flinching especially at the use of 'Howard'.

There was a pause and Link felt two pairs of eyes scalding the back of his head. He busied himself with petting Allen's head and whispering encouragement. A few doctors came into the room and started questioning Allen, but Link did all of the talking.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

"Only to mosquitos."

"How old is he?" The woman started addressing the blond instead, since Allen was unresponsive and trying not to make too much of a fuss.

"Fifteen."

"Name?"

"Allen Walker."

"Does he have any insurance?"

Link felt the left hand of his partner grip tightly onto his and Allen's expression turned into one of fear instead of pain. He gave a light squeeze back, replying with, "No, but he can use mine."

She asked a few more questions and jotted everything down before turning to Link and pointing to Allen. "Think you could remove his current clothes, excluding boxers of course? Or would that be too uncomfortable?"

Link felt his breath catch for a minute before swallowing and nodding shakily. He tried to suck it up though, unsteadily undoing the buttons on Allen's vest and then moving on to the undershirt. He threw the bloody clothes off to the side and unzipped his partner's dress pants. He shook his head, trying to keep his thoughts under control, instead focusing on the oddities he was noticing. _These aren't his work clothes… He and that incessant red head are dressed way too nice for a school evening… Where could they have gone? And who's the one that did this…? _He felt Allen let go of his hand, but leave the sweat soaked ribbon in his possession.

"Can you… take care of it…?" Allen huffed gently.

"If you want me to, then I'll make sure nothing happens to it."

"Mana.." Allen started but interrupted himself and whelped. "Mana… gave it to me… But they… They burned it…" The boy took in a shuddering breath and released it, Link hearing the air scrape against Allen's raw throat. He was probably too tired to cry anymore… Otherwise the teen would most likely be bawling up like he had before.

Link brushed a thumb against Allen's non bruised cheek. "Allen, who's they?"

The boy clamped his mouth shut and averted Link's eyes, sniffling loudly.

"Allen…" Link double checked to make sure no one was around, well other than the red head and weird glasses man of course, before he leaned down to Allen and whispered to his partner gently. "Allen I'm afraid for you… What if something even worse than this…" He swallowed hard, feeling a lump building in his throat. "I can't keep letting this happen… But I need your help so I can stop whoever's doing it…"

He leaned back, watching his partner's eyes meet up with his unsurely. Allen looked like he might have said something before another doctor came in, collected the clothes on the floor, and left a hospital gown for Allen to put on. It was a pain in the ass to apply, mostly because any movement caused Allen to shout out or wince, but together they accomplished it and leaned the broken teen back down.

Link continued to hold Allen's hand as they put an IV into his arm, putting the miserable boy into a panic at first (apparently Allen was afraid of needles), but with the older's help they accomplished it. At some point one of the nurses finally asked if Link was Allen's friend and he nodded, knowing it was probably weird for guy friends to hold hands, but admitting the truth could get him arrested.

Lavi stepped in, leaning against a wall and watching from the side lines. Eventually Allen stopped huffing and moaning, the hysteria induced teen replaced with a drugged version of himself. He continued to hold Link's hand despite everything. At one point the blonde had gotten up to use the bathroom, and the teen had been incredibly reluctant to let him go; fortunately the Junior Bookman was there (one of the few moments he was glad to have him around) and took over, and after both males convinced the unsteady Allen, Link was finally able to get up and go. He went quickly, hating the feeling of being away from Allen for any length of time in the state his partner was in…

Before entering, he stayed in the frame of the door, picking up whatever it was the red head was saying to Allen.

"Allen… Listen, buddy… I'm so, so, so sorry about this… That rich headed Two Spot was right… I should've been there to protect you…"

"no, no, no…" Allen's words were slurring together, similar to how drunk person would talk. Whatever drug they had given the boy seemed to be working wonders. "You would've… hurt too…"

"Al, please… Man, you gotta tell me, who did this to you…?"

Allen blinked a few times, Link guessed that the drugs made things slower. Finally the teen's mouth worked up a little before answering, "Twins…"

"Twins…?" Lavi asked back. Link had no idea what that could possibly mean…

"The twins… go to… our school…"

There was a long silence, and Link decided now would be his time to enter. "Who are the twins?"

The red head spun around, apparently caught of guard. He regained his composure and answered the older student. "We have a pair of twins at our school. They're named Jazdero and Devit…" Link watch Allen grimace at the names. "They're known for being major trouble makers and have been suspended on acts of near violence a few times in the past." Lavi turned back to Allen, wiping away a few sweaty strands of his hair, the act making a heat of jealousy rise up in Link's chest. "I didn't think they'd do something like this though…"

"So you're Allen's boyfriend?" Both males in the room jumped up, surprised to see the doctor with the coffee cup and beret listening over them. He gestured to Link. "That'd be you, right?"

How was he supposed to answer? How did this guy know, first of all! Maybe he had been too careless lately… Especially in here! But… What was he supposed to do? Abandon Allen when his partner probably needed him most? "I… uh…."

"Don't worry, Komuii's chill." Lavi offered behind him. "He's Lenalee's big brother, and a pretty cool dude so long as you don't touch his sister."

Komuii, as the man was called, took on a serious edge. "Don't you ever even think of it, Bookman Junior. The fact that you even hang around my adorable, precious Lenalee is entirely too dangerous for her."

The red head laughed and waved an arm of dismissal. "Don't worry, Chief. I fear for my life too much to ever even lay a finger on her."

Komuii eased out of his stiffened state and turned back to Link. "So are you, or aren't you?"

"W-well I suppose… I m-mean we date and stuff.. but we don't really…" He bit his tongue, distracted by how much he was losing his edge.

"They've never even kissed." Lavi deadpanned, grinning in the process.

Link visibly seethed against the confounded red head, but stopped upon being pat on the head. "Kind of an annoying thing, isn't he?" Komuii looked to Lavi and the one eyed senior put on an expression of dismay.

"Oh, you have no idea."

They shuffled out of the way as doctors with medical equipment and whatnot marched in, shooing them away. Link protested, not wanting Allen to be alone.

"Only one of you can come with him, you can't all dance around the hospital following around one kid," one of the nurses proclaimed.

The red head and the blonde glared at each other, but eventually Lavi just rolled his eye and pushed Link forward. "He'd rather have you anyways."

"Thanks…" Link went back to his beloved's side, watching the boy start to mildly panic (as much as the drugs would allow) as the doctor's moved him out of the room.

"Link..? Where are… going?"

"They're just going to run some tests, ok? I'll be right next to you the whole time."

Allen nodded, holding onto Link's shirt sleeve as they traveled down the hallways towards some gauzy looking rooms.

Oooooooooooooooo. OOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOoooooo. OoooooooOOOOOOOO. OOOOOOOoooooo.

"One broken rib, one bruised rib, seven stitches in the back of his head, a million bruises to remind him of this for a good while to come, and a partridge in a pear tree." Komuii recited and then snapped the diagnoses book shut, grinning wildly at the two boys. "You two are going to be rather busy!"

Allen was now passed out, exhausted to the point where he couldn't even keep his eyes open for the X-ray part of his testing. Link chewed his cheek, knowing the next four weeks or so were going to be really rough on the boy, especially with the broken ribs and all.

"I'm guessing Allen can't go to school for a while…" Lavi remarked.

Link stiffened up at that. The idea of letting a defenseless Allen stay in his house with a drunken and abusive Cross was not a good idea… "He can't go home…" He uttered.

"What?" Lavi snarled, crossing his arms and looking pointedly at Link. "He has to go home at some point! We can't just leave him here forever!"

"He has to go home tonight, you know…" Komuii added in.

"No! No, no…" Link shook his head. "I mean… we can't leave him in his house like this all alone! Cross isn't going to deal with him…" He grit his teeth harshly, stopping when a sharp pain started forming under a molar.

"Oh shit, you're right…" Lavi replied. The red head face palmed and cursed to himself. "So that's what he meant…"

"Hm?" Komuii and Link both turned to the senior, wanting explanations.

"When Allen first came to me and he was like this, he said he wanted to go. I asked if he should go to the hospital, and he said no… I asked if he wanted to go home, and he said no… Now I'm guessing that he probably wanted to avoid home due to Cross, and didn't want to go to the hospital due to his lack of insurance…"

A quiet covered the room for about two minutes before Link shattered it. "So where do we keep him?"

Lavi shook his head, frowning. "I'd keep him with me if I could, but Gramps would never allow it."

"I guess I can keep him in my apartment," Link suggested, "But I'm gone in the mornings until noon, there's no way I can be there at that time… Well, I can break for about a week, but after that…"

"Doesn't Allen have another uncle…?" Komuii offered, casually taking a sip from his coffee. "You know, the one who travels around and what not."

"We have no idea how to reach him…" Link commented.

"We don't even know who he is!" exclaimed Lavi.

"I bet you Cross knows."

Allen's two companions stayed quiet, obviously not too hooked on the idea of messing with Cross in any way, shape, or form. Cross was the devil's incarnate, a nasty man with a habit of hitting his fifteen year old nephew in drunken fits and being overall unpleasant to be around. Link swallowed, knowing that as of right now, Allen's mystery uncle might be their only hope.

OooooooooooO. OOOOOOOOOOOooooo. OoooOOOOOOOOO. OOooooooooOOOOO OO.

Link and Lavi walked out back to the parking lot, the blond carrying Allen as he had before. In his hands were prescriptions and instructions, the hospital having given the role of guardian unto Link since he was old enough and was paying for the ordeal. It would be incredibly pricey, and Leverrier might take a second look at his spending for once, but overall things would smooth over as usual and his sponsor would forget about it.

He heard Lavi stop behind him, and turned to look back at the red head. "What is it?"

"You're in love with him… aren't you."

Link's eyes widened and he felt a red tint pervade his face. "W-what are you…?"

Lavi was looking down at the ground, a miserable expression overtaking him. "You and Allen are always saying that you're just dating or "partners" or whatever… But you're completely in love with him…"

The blonde tried to think of a comeback, but nothing came to mind. He felt a panic rising in his throat, enabling him speechless against the red head's accusation.

"I knew it." Lavi let out low and dark laugh. "Allen would always come to me, asking me if you were really even interested in him due to your lack of romancey stuff, but… In reality you're actually in love with him, and probably didn't want to 'dirty' him or whatever a posh asshole like you would say…"

"Lavi-"

"SHUT UP!" Lavi's voice echoed around the mostly empty parking lot, bouncing off the walls and ringing in Link's ears. "HE'S JUST A KID, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? BY TAKING THINGS THIS SERIOUSLY WITH HIM YOU'RE TAKING AWAY FROM HIS CHILDHOOD! EVER STOP TO THINK ABOUT THAT?" The senior boy stopped, huffing a heavy breath before continuing. "You may be fine, well and dandy to settle down or whatever… But Allen's life has barely started! You two have only been together, for what? Five months? If even that?" Lavi came forward and grabbed the blond by the vest, avoiding hitting Allen all the same. "I should've known. When Allen came to me talking about you, I should've sent him to someone else… But I thought maybe he'd just get bored of you and move on… How was I to know that you'd infect him like some sort of DISEASE."

Link stared up, eyeing the taller red head with fear for a moment before relaxing in the boy's tight grip and releasing a sigh. "It's always been Allen's choice-"

"Like he could make a choice! You and I both know that if it came down to dumping you and leaving you crying for your wits or sticking with you and making himself miserable, he'd suffer for eternity just to make sure no one got hurt other than himself!" Lavi's hands were shaking against Link's vest, the older male wearing the same bland face he always wore.

"If Allen ever speaks bad of me to you, if he ever comes to you saying he doesn't want to be with me anymore…" Link's voice toned down to a whisper.

"Yeah?" Lavi snorted.

"Let me know, and I'll let him go."

Silence returned to the parking lot, all three males being wrapped in it, but only two conscious. Lavi released Link from his grip and stepped back. "I hate you."

"Well you're not exactly someone I would associate with eithe-"

"I hate you because you care about Allen's feelings, because you'd do anything to make him happy… I hate you because you're perfect for him in every single god damned way. And where will I be in the long run? I've already seen it… When he got hit he told you before me…"

"Only because I threatened to break his door down…"

"Still! He told you… Not me or Lenalee… No one else except you. That used to be my job, but now I'm being pushed out of the way by a pestilent worm, and there's not a single thing I can do because you make Allen so fucking happy!"

Link flinched at the words, trying to avoid some of the spittle flying out of Lavi's mouth as he shouted. "That's unfair…" He started. His voice wavered a bit, but strengthened as he laid out his resolve. "If I'm with Allen, you hate me because I take him away from you, but if I distance myself from Allen, you'll be taking away from me." The blonde stared up, jaw set and eyes absolutely targeted onto Lavi's single pupil. "Allen will make his own decisions on his own time, though unlike you I haven't been trying to manipulate him to forget about you. Allen needs you as his friend and I have the decency to see that, but you have to see that he needs me as well."

"Need you?" Lavi scoffed, mouth slack and a look of astonishment on his face. "How arrogant can you-"

"We're both important to him!" Link stepped forward, trying to calm his shouting down despite the annoyance he had for the constant thorn in his side. "You're his closest friend, and I'm sure he shares plenty with you he'd never talk to me about. I'm his partner, and he tells me things he can't tell you about. This is how it works, you can't expect Allen's life to constantly revolve around you. He needs me, he needs you, but more important than anything else he needs us to work together to bring about a sense of balance."

The red head opened his mouth and then shut it, looking away from Link and wearing an ugly glare which he directed at the ground. "Work together with you…?"

"If I had my way I would've blocked you out months ago."

Lavi laughed, the sound dry and lifeless. "We're never going to get along, are we?"

"Not likely." Link grinned smugly and turned, his braid swishing behind him in the process. "Now if you'll excuse me I have to put this one to bed before he catches a cold because we were too proud to stop squabbling."

"I still demand visitation rights!" The red head yelled before running to his car and driving off. Link sighed and carried Allen to his own car, opening the door and placing the boy into a delicate position that wouldn't disrupt his injured ribs.

He checked the time, reading the clock as being half past two in the morning and leaned his head against his steering wheel. What with comforting Allen, listening to his partner's heart wrenching cries through half the ordeal, comforting him again when the drugs set in, calming the white haired teen down whenever a new test or X-ray was run… He was beat. His hand was sore from where Allen had been gripping it with vice-like strength, his eyes stung with exhaustion, and his stomach hurt from worry. It was hard for him to think that only about half a day ago he and Allen were hugging in the woods, everything fine and dandy until that bloody red head apparently left Allen alone, leaving the perfect window of time for the younger male to get bloodied to a pulp.

He started up the car and pulled out, looking out with dismay as he saw snow falling thickly onto the streets and sidewalks. Luckily no one was really out this late, so he was able to drive as slowly as he felt necessary to avoid skidding on any ice. Even with his chains these roads were dangerous, and with Allen unable to wear a seatbelt he felt the need to be extra careful. It took him a whole thirty minutes to drive back to his apartment, lifting Allen out again once safely parked in his garage.

The slow and steady breathing lay his heart to rest a bit… At least it wasn't erratic and suffering as it had been earlier, though the tape the doctor's had put over the boy's chest may have helped that. Link walked up his stairs, and into his home, instantly cranking the heat upon doing so. He walked into his bedroom and covered Allen under a thick layer of comforters and sheets to keep him warm. He moved to exit, stopping at the door frame and looking back.

An uneasiness rest in the pit of his stomach, wriggling around like a worm and causing him to turn his full body back to Allen. The fifteen year old was so defenseless right now… Even with the lamps off and the only light coming in being from snow shadowed obscured streetlights, Link could still see the blotchy bruise over his partner's face. He knew that under those sheets a numerous amount of even bigger and harsher looking marks racked Allen's body, along with a split head and a broken rib. He bit his lip, not wanting to let Allen out of his sight. The boy was fragile, more so now than ever before. He grabbed the chair out of his office and moved it beside the bed where his beloved lay, sitting down and keeping a close vigilance. He had locked the door and closed the blinds, but even with that he still felt something more needed to be done to protect Allen… He reached into a drawer and grabbed a switch blade, holding it in his hand and turning his chair to face the door on the off chance someone came in. His ears stayed perked towards Allen's light snoring, signaling that nothing was wrong. He knew he was being over cautious… But right now he felt he was allowed that right. He'd be damned if the bastards who hurt Allen like this ever got to the boy again, and if he ever found them he'd pay them double for every bruise on Allen's porcelain body.

He stayed that way until the light rays of sunlight started creeping in through the blinds, choosing then to close his weary eyes and drift off in the chair. It was one of the rare occasions where he broke one of his own house rules: The rule that he and Allen were never to sleep in the same room.

**It's funny because originally in this story it was going to be Lavi and Link who were the friends and Lavi trying to help Link out with his hopeless romanticism, and then right before the first chapter after all the planning I turned it around completely and made them worst enemies. Somehow I feel like their conflicting personalities bring out the best and worst in each other, and poor Allen just gets caught in the middle of everything XD**

**Thanks for all the reviews and favorites and everything! Though this story's still getting up off the ground, you guys have made it a wonderful experience to write it :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Happy Wednesday~!**

**Last chapter was kind of horrible, and the one before that... and I think this one is horrible too... Sorry Allen, if you weren't so friggin' adorable I probably would give you a better time...**

****Chapter 7

Allen woke with a start.

He jumped from the unrelenting nightmare he'd been enduring, and instantly felt an agonizing pain shoot through his rib cage.

"Augh..!" He tried to regain composure of his whimpering, finding it impossible to stifle against the horrid feeling radiating from his side. Within a minute he felt another presence sit on the bed beside him, and looked up to see Link residing over him. Through his hazy state of suffering he could see the blond's long hair was an untidy mess, and his eyes bore dark circles under them.

"Allen… Allen! Take these!" Allen felt a few pills get pushed into his hand and Link leaned him up just briefly enough to give him some water and get the meds down. Allen swallowed with a grimace and a moan, laying back down and gripping the spot that ailed him so. His partner pet his head, which held a dull throbbing in the back. He could taste blood in his mouth… Was his mouth bleeding? He couldn't tell, instead focusing on the warmth coming off Link's body.

"Link…" He groaned softly. It took a little while for the meds to kick in and the sharp stabbing in the side of his chest to subside a bit. The smell of something rank made his nose wrinkle and he looked up to the older male. "Are you what smells…?"

Link sighed and continued petting Allen's head. "It's been a rough night. I haven't really had time to shower yet…"

Now that Allen wasn't so focused on his rib he got a better view of his boyfriend, shocked to see the state he was in. Link's hair was let down and a complete mess, sticking out and looking kind of matted in places. Instead of his usual contacts he was wearing his glasses, which only magnified the unpleasant shade making home under each of his eyes. The white haired teen had never seen Link so… dirty… Everything about the college student portrayed how tired he probably was, from the mis-buttoned shirt to the unpleasant reek of body odor.

In a way it was almost exciting for Allen to see… Link was always well kept together and almost inhuman in his tidiness… But this rough, stressed looking replacement seemed kind of refreshing. He felt his mind going kind of fuzzy, taking it as a reaction to the drugs Link had forced down him. He wouldn't say this out loud, but Link's natural body stink was actually kind of appealing to him.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Link asked.

Allen attempted a smile, though he knew Link could probably see right through it. "It's no big deal…"

"What was it about?"

The younger paused, not really wanting to answer. _Mana… _With that he remembered his ribbon and almost jerked up again, being held back by the older male. "My ribbon… Please tell me my ribbon's ok…"

He watched Link fumble into his pocket with shaky hands. _Did he catch any sleep last night…?_ From the man's pants he pulled the red ribbon, burned and half dissolved as Allen had given it to him. He felt his heart sink at the sight of it. The last thing Mana had given him… The only thing he had left to remember his father… Now half sprinkled as ashes in an alleyway probably covered in his own blood. "You handed it to me like this… You said Mana gave it to you...?"

Allen took it from Link's hand and held it above him, a deep sadness overtaking him. Why did those two have to pick on him…? He would have rather taken more beatings than have had his ribbon destroyed by those menaces. He fought the tightness growing in his throat and released it in a shuddering sigh. "It was the only thing left from him…"

Link's face fell and he rubbed a gentle thumb across Allen's scar, the boy leaning into the touch. "I'm sorry I wasn't there… I should've done something…"

"Done what?" Allen touched Link's hand lightly, running a finger against the pale knuckles. "There was nothing you could've done.. Nothing Lavi could've done either. I don't even know what they were doing there…"

"The twins…"

Allen's eyes widened. "How did you know…?"

"When you were under all those drugs last night you admitted to me and the moron. We decided to ask you if you wanted to call the police or not. "

The younger stopped tracing Link's hand. He took a deep breath and released it, feeling a dull tightness in his ribcage. "No… I just want this to smooth over.. I can't afford to go to court right now, and honestly I really don't want to… Eventually they'll just get bored and move on to some other weirdo…"

"Allen they almost killed you…" Link brought up the hand Allen had been tracing with and kissed it lightly, making the teen blush furiously. The blond's lips were a new sensation against his strange left hand. "Any more and I could've lost you…" Link's voice went quiet, causing Allen's heart to pound against his injured chest.

"I'll stay out of trouble from now on, ok?" Allen tried to smile, but Link put a finger over his lips.

"Lavi called me last night while you were sleeping and explained to me what you two were doing."

Allen let his arm dropped and experienced a dreadful panic settling in. "You're mad…"

"No. I'm not mad." Link stood up, making the younger miss his presence (however stinky as of right now). "But if you were really having so much trouble with buying food, you should've just asked me."

Allen shook his head, realizing it was a bad idea once a woozy spell overcame him. "Link, I can't take your money! You should be spending it on more important things…!"

"Nothing's more important to me than you!" Link yelled with a desperation in his voice Allen couldn't recognize. Was this the same man who'd been too nervous to even call him by his first name a little less than a week ago? Despite his embarrassment, to know that someone cared for him on this level made him happy.. Though Link should still be spending his income on things that helped him instead of Allen. The blond continued, catching the teen off guard. "My money means nothing to me, Allen. Not in comparison to you. If I have to spend it all to keep you alive and safe, then so be it."

He didn't know what to say back to that… Instead Allen kept his mouth shut and tried to sink into the incredibly comfy pillows. This was the second night in a row he'd slept over at Link's house… He started to wonder how often this was going to occur from now on… "Are you taking me home today..?" He asked timidly. In all honestly he didn't want to return to Cross's house. The man would be more of a danger to him than anything else…

Link shook his head. "No. Definitely not. You're staying here for about a week or until me and Lavi can contact your other uncle."

Allen almost jerked up again at that, but kept his injury in mind and settled down. "Why him…?"

"Well I can only afford to miss about a week of school, and your idiot friend is a TA, so it's even harder for him to skip out… And he's your only other family member, right?"

Allen swallowed and gripped onto the sheets tucking him in, noticing how with each movement his body still gave off a dull ache. "He's not going to come you know…"

"And why's that? He's your father's brother, right? He should take care of you…"

"Well he's kind of busy.." _There's no way I can tell him who my uncle is… He'd never believe me…_

"Do you know his number?"

"Well, I'd have to call Cross for it, but I can't think of a reason why he wouldn't give it to me…" He snuggled in deeper and felt a rush hit his head. "Woo…"

"You ok?" Link was leaning towards him again, but Allen could hardly tell with his head spinning in dizzy circles. "Allen?"

"I think I'm gonna…" He felt an overwhelming sleepiness wash over him. "Sleepy.." The act of talking became difficult and his tongue felt like a dead fish.

"Those are probably the meds." His partner sounded distant, the world becoming dimmer and dimmer as his eyelids fought to stay open. "Just lay back and rest for now. It's going to be like this for a few days."

Allen grunted in reply and allowed himself into the blackness that was his sub consciousness.

oooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo . ooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooO. OOOOOOoooooo.

Link gave his now passed out partner a lasting look before exiting the room and heading to the shower. He reeked of sweat from all the worrying he'd done the night before, and with only about an hour's sleep he didn't feel very well rested. Nonetheless he couldn't afford to let himself nap at this time. Allen could suffer at any moment from nightmares or curling into a wrong position (which had woken the boy up several times during the night, he was pretty sure the drugs made him forget though). Even just taking this quick shower was a risk, but he smelled awful and he couldn't manage his hair as it was right now. He'd been told by several people to cut it if he hated caring for it so much, but honestly he didn't mind and it had taken him so long to grow that cutting it now would feel anti-climatic.

He stepped in, washed everywhere thoroughly while keeping the essence of time in his mind, then stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist and another one draped over his head to dry the locks that reached down past his shoulder blades. He brushed his teeth before continuing his drying habits and slipping into some less formal attire since he had no plans of making any public appearances today, whether at college or in the town. A simple sweatshirt and jeans sufficed, and he overlooked himself for a bit before frowning. His hair was still wet and let down, he didn't feel like putting in the contacts he usually wore so he adorned his glasses, and his clothes were for that of comfort instead of physical appearance… In other words he felt he looked like a slob and wondered what Allen would think once he woke up again.

Unfortunately he just didn't have the strength to care about being judged right now, so if Allen was offended by his appearance then he'd just have to deal with it. At least he wouldn't smell as bad…

He checked in on Allen real quick, making sure the boy was sleeping in a flat position on his back before moving to the kitchen to make himself some coffee. The longest interval he had probably slept last night (and it wasn't even really night when he'd gone to sleep) was about twenty minutes, but if you counted all the times he'd drifted up an awoken it'd be closer to an hour of rest. Allen had awoken multiple times throughout the night, but this was the first time he'd been somewhat lucid… It started setting in that the boy would be like this for a while… Whatever Lavi was jealous of (the idiot probably thought they were having a fun sleepover) didn't even really exist, since pretty much the entire week would consist of Allen waking up with delusional lucidity as he had earlier, and then needing to be drugged back down unless he wanted to suffer his rib pain.

He drained the coffee, waiting for a buzz to start taking place. He leaned over the counter, inhaling deeply before releasing it slowly. Komuii was right when he'd said they were going to have it rough, but he was glad Lavi had let him take Allen to his home without too much argument. He felt it safer this way, being so close and being able to come running if anything happened. He piqued an ear in the direction of the bedroom, making sure there were no whimpers, calls, or cries before daring to look for something to eat. He put two pieces of bread into the toaster and took up a stance by the doorframe again, leaving once he heard the _pop_ of the bread being finished.

The entire day went similar to how the night was. Link didn't have any time to nap, and nor did he dare when Allen would start mumbling in his sleep or on some occasions shrieking. He'd have to shake the boy awake, to which Allen would wake up for a brief moment, and then pass out again. The toast was the only thing he risked to get up and eat through the whole ordeal, even quick stops to the restroom making him anxious.

At some time around three 'o' clock a knock was heard at his door and he looked through the spying hole. On the other side stood that dastardly red head and, to his surprise, the Lenalee girl dragging their Kanda friend by one arm. He reached for the door before realizing he looked like shit and cursed inwardly. He quickly put his hair up in a ponytail and called it good, not having much more time to do anything else.

He opened the door and tried to at least appear somewhat awake. "Hello?"

"You gonna invite us in or what, Two Spot?" Lavi grinned and presented a large bag. "I thought Al might be hungry so I got him some snacks."

"Yeah about that-"

He was cut off as the red head removed his boots and stepped inside. "Pretty swav place you've got here!"

"Listen Lavi-"

"Hey man, where's Allen? He's not on the couch…" Lavi turned and grinned mischievously. "Oh you dirty man! He's in your bed isn't he?"

Link chased after the senior, getting the sense that he was too exhausted to be dealing with this right now. "Lavi please listen-"

"Hey I'm gonna go check on- oof!" Lenalee had come in by this point and punched her friend straight in the abs. If there was ever a friend of Allen's that Link would dare say he liked, Lenalee would be the one.

"Lavi, shuttup and listen to Link!"

All eyes were on him now and the blond cleared his throat. "Allen's not really… conscious right now.. He's gonna be out of it for a while… It was nice of you to come by and check on him, but he's kind of been in and out…"

"Is it ok if we just see him?" The girl asked.

"W-well I suppose…"

"Jesus man!" The red head ran forward and grabbed his face, making the college student seethe in annoyance. "You look like crap today!"

"Lavi!" Lenalee shouted.

"No really! Dude have you been up all night? That's bad for your health!"

Link pushed Lavi's hands away from his face and continued to the room. "You want to see him or not?"

"Yes-"

"Then stop touching me, Junior."

Lavi snorted and stalked towards the only open bedroom door in the house. "Whatever dude. Chill."

Link turned back, noticing how the Kanda guy was standing back away from everyone else. "Are you going with them, or..?"

"No, fuck that." The Japanese man folded his arms and leaned against a wall. "I hate that kid, and I'm pretty sure he hates me. It's a perfect system if you ask me."

"Sounds like me and the red head…"

"Fuck that guy too."

Link stood around for a moment before giving up on conversation and walking into the room, its two newest occupants just standing around.

Lavi turned and spoke to Link. "He's really out, huh?"

Link took his watch over spot in the office chair and nodded. "He comes and goes. Usually he's only waking up from some bad dream though, so he'll throw a fit and then go out again."

"You've been at this since the two of you got home, huh?" Lenalee asked.

He nodded and glanced over at his sleeping partner. "It's gonna be like this for a little while..."

"Listen, Two Spot." Link looked over, hating the fact that he was starting to get used to the wretched nick name. "Me and Lena can take it from here. You look bummed out and should probably take a rest. If anything happens that we need questions for we'll come and get you, aiight?"

Link blinked for a minute before nodding and bumbling out of the room. He would have slept on the couch, except for the fact that Kanda was out there and he didn't exactly feel comfortable sleeping in range of the wannabe samurai.

Instead he took to his office, grabbing a spare pillow from the closet and laying down on the floor. A sigh escaped him as he felt some pressure alleviate from his back. All night until now he'd been either sitting up, or standing, never once had he had a moment to lay down like this. He was out in under a minute, a hard sleep settling over him.

ooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOooooo . ooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOO . Ooooooooooooo.

It was almost no time at all when a rough hand shook him and he awoke to Lavi's desperate pleas.

"Link… Yo Link! Wake up! It's Allen man…"

Link stumbled awake and rubbed his eyes, blinking blearily at the now bright room. "What's wrong.." His words were slurry from sleep.

"Dude Allen's like screaming and stuff.. Can you help?"

Upon listening more closely Link heard the calls of his partner and instantly jumped up to run into the bedroom. He saw Allen curled over onto his side and crying out loudly, remaining unawake. Lenalee looked like she might cry herself, and Link took over to ruse the boy awake.

"Allen… Allen wake up."

Allen turned bleary eyes to him, glazed over with drug and sleep. "Mana…"

Link kept his straight face, not wanting to show his concern to the other two in his presence. He straightened his partner out, relieving some of the pressure on his rib. "Allen, it's me, Link."

"Link…" Allen stopped moving and seemed to deflate a little, not being so pent up. The teen relaxed a bit and sighed. He looked a bit different, more similarly to when the drugs had worn off this morning than when he awoke from his deranged dreaming. "My chest hurts…" The words seemed to drag out of the boy's mouth like crackly leaves on dried pavement.

"Just give it a moment." Link instructed. He stood back and collapsed into his office chair, not wanting to show his touchy side in front of Lenalee (with Lavi it was more of a bragging right than anything else, also to show that he was actually affectionate to Allen). "You're chest's gonna be in pain for a bit, but I want you to have a break from these nightmares."

The teen nodded slowly, grimacing a bit, but lightened up a little upon looking around the room. "Lavi.. Lenalee…!" Allen smiled, a real one this time, and it made Link feel a bit better. His partner was still looking tired and slightly tormented from injury and troubled sleep, but at least with his friends around the boy could have some actual company.

"Allen!" Lenalee grinned and grabbed Allen's hand, sniffling as a few tears fell down her cheeks. "I was so worried about you! Lavi said you were in a car accident, and I just didn't know what to think!" She softly cried, meanwhile Link and Allen glanced over at Lavi who made an X with his arms. Apparently the fact that Allen had been bludgeoned practically to death wouldn't have taken well with the worrisome girl.

"Oh yeah… Car accident.." Allen continued smiling while letting the girl pour her emotions all over Link's bed sheets. "Lavi…"

"I told Two Spot everything…" The red head put on a face of guilt and scratched the back of his head. "You know, with our Tuesday night ritual and all…"

"Link told me…"

"He didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

"I'm right here, you know…" The blond offered, bothered by the fact that he was being ignored in a conversation where he was the sub-topic.

"Shut up, Dinkface, the kids are talking." Lavi grinned and Link groaned, entirely not in the mood for this nonsense.

Allen looked like he was about to say something before gripping his side and curling up. Link stood up from his chair and ran to his side.

"You alright? What's wrong?"

"Chest…"

Link nodded and grabbed the pain killer bottle from his desk, turning to Lavi with urgency. "Can you get him some water?"

The red head nodded without a snarky comment and dashed from the room. Link kept a hand on Allen's shoulder, this being about all the support he could offer at the moment. At least he wasn't screaming out anymore, which felt like a good sign to the older blond. Lenalee however, didn't see things this way, and the girl had her mouth covered along with an expression of horror painting her face.

"Allen…"

"Don't worry about him." Link suggested. He ran a hand over the back of Allen's head, being careful not to disrupt the stitches. "He'll be fine in no time."

Lavi ran back in, pushing the water into Link's hands. "Here, I don't know if you use tap or not, but's tap's fastest, so I used it…"

Link nodded and proceeded into propping his younger partner up and repeating the act he'd done this morning. With some effort involved, Allen got down the pills and water, heaving slightly against the blankets and sheets that kept the boy warm. There was a good five minutes or so of stiff silence other than Allen's pained breathing in the room, but eventually it died down and the white haired teen drifted off once again into his unsteady sleep.

"He's been like this the whole time?" Lavi inquired.

"Yes… He comes around, but he can't be lucid without the chest pain, and he can't be rid of the chest pain without being asleep with those bad dreams of his." Link exasperated a sigh, not entirely satisfied with the nap he'd taken (about a thirty minute rest from reading the clock). He removed himself from the bed with a slight drag in his movements, taking to his chair once more.

"Sorry you didn't get much sleep…" Lenalee mumbled, still looking down on the now sleeping form of her friend.

"It's fine." Link stated. Really there was no helping the matter, but right no he was so exhausted he could hardly move his body. "Are you going to Cross's?" He directed at Lavi.

He red head visibly gulped. "Not much of a choice… I hope the guy'll let us contact Allen's chill uncle though… That if this one's actually chill…"

Lenalee assimilated a stronger composure, taking a deep breath and clapping her hands together in finality "No more crying! Alright, I'll stay here and keep an eye on Allen, Lavi you go find Cross and contact Allen's uncle, and Link…"

Link looked up, though his head felt heavier than he ever remembered it being.

"Take a nap." She said sweetly and the blond coughed a short laugh before getting up. He waved the two off briefly, running into Kanda on his way out.

"Watch it!" The Japanese man hissed.

Link regarded him for a second before sniffing and moving on. He felt Kanda hold him back for a second though.

"You know what happened to the bean sprout, don't you." He whispered, Link taken by surprise.

"Car crash…" he lied.

"No. What really happened. I know you all fed that bullshit to Lenalee so she wouldn't throw some kind of fit of hysteria, but what the fuck happened to him."

Link checked around him, making sure that the nicer of Allen's three friends were occupied with fussing over his partner. He went over the consequences of telling the Asian man, but found none that could really hurt Allen any more than he already was. "He got attacked…"

"Attacked?" For a second Link thought he saw shock, but it disappeared as quickly as it had shown and Kanda once again put up his stone cold appearance. "Attacked by who. Do you know why they attacked him?"

"Walker said something about twins…" Link brought back his formalities towards Allen, not feeling entirely comfortable with using his partner's first name around Kanda. "As for the reason, we have no clue."

"I know why." Lavi interrupted, startling both older males by the red head's appearance.

"Jesus, you fucking idiot! Warn us before you decide to include yourself!" Kanda angrily whispered.

"Let's go to a different room so Lenalee doesn't overhear." Lavi gestured to the living room and the three shuffled over, quietly closing the door to Link's room behind them.

Kanda fell onto the couch, claiming every cushion as his own and eyeing anyone who dared also steal a seat. Link took to sitting on the floor, too exhausted to stand for any more time. Lavi just stood across from them, not taking any sort of seat whatsoever.

"I thought you two should probably hear about the details on what happened last night…" Lavi stated. "Link I know I called you, but that was pretty brief and all it got out of the way was that me and Al were gambling." Link scowled and Lavi took a step back. "I know you're pissed, dude, but this is important. Yuu, I think you should probably hear about this too, since Alma's you're friend and he's at risk."

"First off, you fucking call me Yuu ever again, I'm ripping your testicles off." Kanda growled. "Two, what does this have to do with Alma?"

"Alma?" Link questioned. He'd never heard Allen mention the name before…

"The only dude chill enough to handle Kanda and who Kanda will actually let be around him. The kid's a pro if I've ever seen one, gotta respect that-"

"Are you just going to spew nonsense forever?"

"Jesus man, settle down.." Lavi cleared his throat, recovering from Kanda's verbal assault. "The guys who took out Allen, those Noah twins or whatever…"

"Noah..?" Again Link was the one asking questions, but this time the name sounded vaguely familiar.

"Believe or not Allen's actually related to them," Lavi grinned sheepishly. " But just barely. I don't even think they really count as family.."

"GO ON, FUCKER."

"Alright! Alright! Calm your tits, Sassy!" Kanda threw a pillow and Lavi dodged, both getting nasty glances from the one who'd actually bought the pillows. "Anyways, I think they might be some form of gay bashers…"

All three kept quiet for a minute before Kanda shattered it. "You talkin' like homo killers or some shit?"

Link felt a queasiness in his stomach as Lavi continued. "Yeah. I mean, they didn't kill Allen per say, but I think if he hadn't ran into the door I happened to be next to…"

More silence. More queasiness in Link's stomach. He felt like he was going to throw up…

"Kanda, you should probably relay this to Alma, because regardless of anything you're going to say to me, I know he's your good friend and I wouldn't want you to lose that. Tell him to keep a low profile for now… I'm all for us being who really are and all that philosophical crap, but not if it gets any of us killed. Link…"

Link felt a spark in his nervous system, being racked with worry and apprehension already, dealing with this fear lecture wasn't helping anything.

"I know we don't like each other very much, like at all… But Allen's hooked on you and I would never hurt Allen, so I'm telling you this for his sake, so please don't misunderstand."

The blond felt a heat of anger rising to his temples. "You're asking me to break it off with him…"

"No! No, no…" Lavi wagged his finger and gave a nervous laugh. "Allen would have my head for that one… No. All I'm asking is that you do the same as I am asking Kanda to tell Alma. The couply stuff? Like that dorky crap you pulled in the hospital? Keep it secret. Don't hug Allen in public, don't give him cute shit in public, don't even fucking smile at him in public."

"I don't have to worry about smiling…" Link responded, proving his point by wearing his same stoic expression.

"Ok, whatever! You get what I'm saying though. From now on, you and Allen are to keep on dating in secret, pretty much as you have been doing, with the exception of this week. I know I was pushing Allen onto you to take things further but… Revert back. No holding hands in the open, and when you meet up, do it separately. You gave Allen that phone, so call him if you two want to chill. Only use this house," Lavi pointed at the ground, "Which I am naming Base 1, and his house, which I am naming Base 2 for romanticy stuff. Actually it might be better to use this house more, since no one ever knows when Cross gets home…"

Link took in the instructions and made a mental note of them. Despite how much he loathed the ridiculous red head, he was making a fine point at the moment. His relationship with Allen would go back down under the radar with the exceptions of this house and Allen's when they were sure Cross wouldn't burst in. He'd have to wait on dates, surely to disappoint Allen once relaying such information to him, but it was for the younger boy's safety.

"Are we gonna catch these cunts or what?" Kanda drawled from the back, Link feeling slightly appalled at the harsh language.

"I'm gonna see if I can talk to Mikk…" Lavi replied forcefully. Link cocked his head and heard Kanda scoff.

"You know what you're gonna have to do to get that to happen, right? He's gonna buttfuck you so hard, you won't be able to sit for a week."

Lavi's face turned red and a temper arose. "SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH, KANDA! YOU REALLY THINK KILLING THEM WILL MAKE THIS BETTER? THEN YOU'LL BE THE ONE TO GET ARRESTED, FUCKWAD!"

Link was about to join in to quiet the two down, before all three men turned to face the bedroom door which had been opened. Lenalee poked out, giving them a stern glare. "Lavi, if you can't quiet down I'm kicking you out, you hear?"

Lavi grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry Lena! We're just forming a rally support group for people not running over other people with their cars and stuff…"

Lenalee rolled her eyes and closed the door again, leaving them once again in privacy. Lavi waited a few moments before resuming where he'd left off. "Yes, I'm gonna get my ass pummeled, more literally than I would like, but if it keeps those creeps who beat on Allen away, and since Mikk's related to those creeps, there's not much I can do.."

"I don't like the idea of you selling yourself, even if it is for Walker's sake…" Link offered, feeling a weird glare burning into his scalp from behind him. "It's not right."

Lavi shrugged and made a face, sticking his tongue out. "I really dislike the guy, but it's not like I haven't already fucked him once, what's another night of regrets gonna do? Besides, this is an offer he can't refuse. This bitch has been on my tail for almost a half year." The red head put his hands on his hips and sighed. "Gotta make like a rabbit and get busy, eh Yuu?"

"Told you not to fucking call me that." Kanda snarled at the one eyed boy furiously, but didn't make any moves to get up. "So, let me get this straight. I tell Alma to stop being homo in public, Bean Sprout and Shit Face here quit queering it up everywhere they go, and to revert everything back to it's original state of magical rainbows and sunshine, you're gonna become jail bait. Is that about everything?"

Link felt he preferred Two Spot to Shit face…

Lavi clapped his hands together, throwing out the most winning smile Link was sure he could muster. "Yup! Any questions?"

When no one spoke up the red head moved away from the living room and started putting his boots on. "Alrighty then! I'm gonna go find Cross and get Mystery Uncle's number, then call that creepster Mikk up and ask him out on the most terrifying date of my life. Link you should do what Lena says and catch some Zs, your eyes are so bloodshot someone might thinking you're smokin' dope. And Yuu.."

"Don't call me Yuu."

"Pray me for my beloved Samurai!" And with that the red head blew a kiss and got a fast pillow thrown at him, hitting the door as he swung out.

**Wow almost nothing happens here... Sorry about that ^^;**

**Ahaha I thought I'd give the Kanda fans something to chew on for a bit since I have hardly put any of him in here... (I honestly have no idea how to use him, so he just kinda shows up every now and then).**

**I forget if this is where things start getting better or worse... I end up rereading these the week I upload them just like you guys, so it's exciting for me too XD**

**Aiight, stay cool and peace out until the next one homies!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Not much happens in this chapter... but it's still important to the cause I suppose.**

**I think this is the point where things start slowing down for a little bit, but they pick back up pretty quick.**

**Just keep poor Link in your hearts for the next forever chapters, I have a habit of being rather mean to him...**

****Chapter 8

Link couldn't handle it anymore, running into the bathroom and closing the door behind him

He leaned over the toilet seat bowl and retched violently, coughing after each spasm. He tried to regain his breath but it would only be interrupted by more vomit, the act starting to bring stressed tears to his eyes. After a few spells it only became dry heaving, which brought more pressure onto his stomach than the actual throwing up. The blond gripped the sink counter, feeling a bit more relief once he was done and had collapsed onto the floor by the toilet.

It was something he did when he was too nervous or felt overly jittery… It wasn't a reaction to fear, but to loss of control. It had happened several times around Allen when he'd first tried out using his first name, and another time when they'd been in the same room together alone as dates for the first time. It was something he couldn't keep control over, something that just happened when a situation became too much for him. He'd thrown up once back at the hospital too, when they were testing on Allen and the doctors forced him out of the room for some sort of scan, he'd taken the opportunity to run to a restroom and get it out of his system.

After flushing promptly and wobbling back up on unstable legs, he caught a glance of himself in the mirror and understood why everyone kept telling him to sleep… His face was pale, his hair still a mess despite him cleaning and putting it up, his eyes were a stressful red tone surrounded by shadowy circles. He hadn't seen himself like this in forever… Mostly because since he had started dating Allen, it became his goal to not only look good in public for the Leverriers, but on a daily basis everywhere so if his partner surprised him with a visit he wouldn't be in bad shape. He turned his sink on and downed some water, cooling the acid feeling in his throat. Once done he washed his face off as well, wiping away any traces of what he had been doing.

He exited and headed out, taking a look over to Kanda who had commandeered his couch. The blond checked in on Allen real quick, making sure all was right before stumbling over to his office and resuming the nap he had attempted earlier. Like before, sleep hit him fast and hard, despite the fact that he had no bed of any material.

ooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo oOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOO OOOO

Lavi drove up to the Marian/Walker house, looking about to see if anyone was home. He spotted the signature beat up red truck (Apparently named Maria...) and felt a slight disappointment. He really didn't want to go in there and talk to the man… Worse yet he was going to have to explain that he had been around when his nephew got the shit beat out of him. Though he still wasn't sure as to what Cross's reaction to that would be… The man had a tendency to beat on Allen himself from time to time, but surely it was nothing like what the kid had suffered last night…

The red head parked by the side walk and hugged his jacket close to him. The weather just kept dropping lately... He walked up to the door and knocked a few times, secretly hoping no one would answer. After two minutes and a second knocking he assumed no one was home and turned tail. Unfortunately a creak sounded behind him and he got caught in his tracks.

He turned around, expecting to see Cross Marian, Allen's incredibly temperamental uncle. Instead he saw someone entirely unexpected.

"Gramps!?"

"Idiot!" His grandfather shouted over the quiet snowflakes. He was a midget statured man with a surely face and dark black spots around his eyes. There was a reason Lavi had nick named the man 'Panda'. "I've been calling you all day! Where the hell have you been?"

"What the hell are you doing at Allen's house?" Lavi inquired, ignoring the senior Bookman's question completely.

"Looking for you!"

"Oh well, goody for me. I'm looking for Cross, he's here, right?" Lavi shivered against the cold, wishing his heartless grandpa would let him inside.

"He's here. He's wondering where the Walker boy is."

"Allen?"

"Who else would you think, Moron?"

Lavi stuck his tongue out, regretting the spit that started to freeze over his lips. He saw the tall, daunting figure of Cross Marian come up behind his grandfather, smoking a cigarette as was per usual of the man.

"You're one of my idiot nephew's little friend squad, ain't ye?" The older red head inquired.

Lavi was stuck in place for a minute before realizing he'd been asked anything. "Yeah! Actually I came here to-"

"Where the hell has he run off to?" The man's single eyed stare rivaled that of Lavi's. _It's like looking into the future…_ He inwardly gagged at the thought.

"He's at Link's place right now…"

"Which one's Link?" Cross strode out of his house and up to the younger red head, towering over him and making his courage quickly evade the high school student.

"Short guy, long blond hair, kind of a posh, stuck up asshole…"

"Him?"

"Yeah…"

"Don't like him." Cross mumbled.

"Hey listen, can I come-?"

"I don't like you either." The man brought his face up to Lavi's, cigarette smoke climbing into the boy's nostrils and making in cough out loud. "What's he doing over there?"

"Well that's why I wanted to talk to you…" Lavi found himself stammering a bit over his words, but sucked it up and continued. "Can I please come in?"

Cross took a puff on his cig before drawling out, "I don't like Mormons in my house."

"But I'm Jewish…" the short red head defended.

"Same thing."

Not_ even close…_

From the doorway he heard his Gramp's voice. "Oh let him in. You called half the neighborhood asking where your nephew was, now you'll get some answers. Happy?"

Cross looked from one Bookman to the other before grunting in agreement and heading inside his house. Lavi followed eagerly, convinced that if he spent one more minute in this cold all his fingers would freeze off.

The house's owner took an unsteady seat upon the armchair he always made home in during his drunken escapades. Lavi decided to join his grandfather on the couch, noticing how much of a different air this place had when it was just him and Allen, excluding his bastardly uncle.

"So. Navi."

"Lavi.."

"Whatever." Cross waved a hand and looked the younger red head dead in the face, single eye to single eye. One couldn't match that kind of intensity… "Where's the white haired idiot run off to? He hasn't been here for two nights in a row."

Lavi gulped and clenched his hands. "Well the day before he got hit in the cheek and went over to Link's and I think just ended up crashing there…"

"What about last night."

"Well me and Allen went out.. You know to chill and stuff…" Allen had specifically told him never to tell Cross about the kid's ability to gamble. The man would send the boy out for his own enjoyment and the debts would increase ten fold. "But some stuff happened and me and Link had to take him to the hospital.."

Cross's eye widened. "Hospital? You morons know he doesn't have insurance, right?"

_And whose fault might that be?_ Lavi seethed, not understanding how this man could be so outright neglectful of Allen. "Yeah… no, we got that…"

"What happened to the Walker boy to land him there?" His Gramps chipped in.

Lavi chewed his lip. The environment of adults was always too stuffy for him… "He got.. umm…"

"Spit it out." Cross demanded.

"Some guys from our school attacked him I guess… And they beat him up pretty bad…"

"Attacked?" The senior Bookman folded his arms and frowned (well, frowned more…). "And where were you when this happened?"

"W-we got separated… See, there was this weirdo I was trying to avoid-"

"Jump to the point." Cross leaned back in his chair and finished the last of his cig, tossing the butt into a plastic cup filled with nasty water and other such completed sticks. "Where's my nephew now?"

"I already told you, he's at Link's… And we were wondering if we could-"

"It never occurred to you group of menaces to bring him home?" Allen's uncle was really starting to scare the shit out of Lavi…

"Well, no offense, but Allen's like, hella out of it right now. And you kind of like to do your own thing, so we decided to take care of him…"

"How is he now?" Bookman butt in, apparently as sick of Cross's redundant ridiculousness as everyone else. "And what kind of injuries did he sustain?"

Sometimes Lavi thought that his grandpa liked Allen more than he liked his own grandson… Understandable, really. Allen was polite and always a pleasure, whereas Lavi and his Gramps always got into fights and arguments. "Well the guys who he got beat by used…" He didn't want to say the next part… He wasn't even a hundred percent sure if it was with bats, but the noise upon the door… Those bruises all over Allen…

"Used?" His grandfather rolled a hand.

"S-something metal…" That was the only thing he was sure of. The sound of metal resounding upon metal had been ringing in his ears since leaving Allen with Link… Knowing that the heavy substance had been cracked down upon his friend. "The doctors said he broke a rib, and he had to get stitches on the back of his head.. Six of them- No wait, it was seven… He's being put on really weird pain killers right now, and don't worry," He gestured to Cross, "Link's paying for all of it."

The older red head settled back into his chair upon hearing the last part and put a finger to his lightly bearded chin. "So when do you plan on bringing him home? Or do I have to file for kidnapping?"

"We're just keeping him until he gets a bit better. Right now he kind of needs someone with him at all times… It's even too much for Two Spot- I mean Link, and he's staying home twenty four seven this week…" He inhaled, completely uncomfortable among these figures of authority. "But Link's gotta go back to school at some point, and I can't take care of him, so we were wondering… If maybe we could call Allen's other uncle…"

There was a silence in the room before Cross broke out into a fit of laughter. It wasn't pleasant either… More like the sound an evil maniac produced while butchering its victim. "You wanna call that idiot? The guy doesn't even show up most Christmases. You expect him to come for something like this?"

"We don't really have any choice!" Lavi defended, starting to get angry. "Maybe if you gave a shit about Allen enough to care for him-!" His Gramps put a hand on his arm and he hushed. Looking up he saw Cross glaring at him.

"Maybe this is better, Marian." The senior Bookman turned to Allen's uncle. The old man was a genius when it came to reason… "Let's be perfectly honest. When it comes to the Walker boy you're not very efficient in times of need. Perhaps he can-"

"No. No. Absolutely not." Cross declared, silencing the Bookman rudely. "Allen can take care of himself if it's really that important."

"No he can't!" Lavi shouted back. "He's really hurt right now! He needs help, and if you're not going to step up to the plate and give it, then we need to obviously bring in someone more qualified!"

At this Cross stood up, and Lavi followed the action, staring into that single iris of deep crimson red. It almost reminded him of Link...

"Whatever. Have fun chasing a ghost." The man stumbled into his kitchen and pulled out a slip of paper, throwing it at Lavi. "Try all of those, if he doesn't answer any, that means he's not interested." After that he ascended the staircase and left Lavi and his grandfather alone in his living room.

The Bookman senior sighed, unfolding his arms and leaning back. "He has a strange way of showing he cares…"

Lavi nodded silently, looking over the twenty or so numbers Cross had given him. _Why so many…? _He shrugged and stuffed them into his pocket. "Aiight, Gramps. I'm outta here, got a few things to do before I get back home."

"What are you going to do about the kids who beat the Walker boy?"

"Nothing much… There's really nothing we can do. Calling the police will just start more trouble, and put stress on Allen. I don't think he needs that right now." He stood up, giving a last remark to his grandfather. "You know… right?"

"Hm?"

"About Allen being… well you know…"

The old man chuckled and looked up to his much taller grandson. "Are you worried I might dislike you cuz you like boys?"

Lavi blushed and bit back. "Not all the time! Geez, Gramps! Do you even know the meaning of the word curiosity?"

"I think you're fooling yourself a little too much there, kiddo."

"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Lavi kept his voice to a harsh whisper, not wanting to bring Cross back.

"I think what you harbor for that troubled boy is a little more than curiosity, Lavi."

"W-what?" Lavi stiffened and mumbled out, "We're just friends… Anything more would be stupid…"

The older Bookman gave a smirk. "The Walker boy has eyes for someone else, I'm guessing."

"Shut up, old man! You suck!" Lavi stormed out of the house and into the snow, gripping his chest and trying to control his heart rate.

_Feelings for Allen…? No way. No way in hell. We're just friends. Best friends. Besides, Allen would never… Why am I even thinking like this?_ A brief image of Link holding Allen in his arms from last night flashed in his mind and he a bout of jealousy come over him. _Get it together, Lavi. Even if you ever did have feelings for Al, which you don't, you'd have no chance against Two Spot. The guy's a fucking saint to Allen for Christ's sake… _

He shook his head and continued to stomp to his car, getting in and turning on the ignition. The hum of life brought about a state of calm to the red head as he lost himself in the vibrations that ran through the vehicle. He kept it on as he pulled his phone out, looking for the number in his contacts that he really wasn't looking forward to calling.

He found Tyki's number and removed the block on it, hesitating his finger over the talk button. Did he really want to do this? If he gave the stupid creep what he wanted, maybe the violence against Allen and possibly his other friends would cease… He grit his teeth and pressed the number, putting the phone to his ear.

It rang a few times before a voice came over. "Eye Patch?"

"Yeah…" Lavi started, not knowing where to take it from there. "Listen, I have a favor to ask of you, and if you make it happen I promise you'll be rewarded greatly.

There was a pause on the other end. Lavi could almost imagine the smirk coming to Mikk's face about now… "I'm listening."

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo ooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOOO O

It had been three days since Link had awoken Allen that first morning, the end of the week coming too closely for his liking. Already it was Friday, and after the weekend he'd have to return to his college, being forced to leave Allen in the care of Cross. It was a daunting thought, one that brought an extreme uneasiness to the blond… But all the same. If he missed any more school Leverrier would become suspicious and possibly cut him off from all funds.

Tuesday night the red head had dropped off all the apparent numbers to reach Allen's mystery uncle, and Link had called each and every one, leaving a message on every voicemail. He didn't even get a name for the character, since the voicemails were all the standard one used when people never made their own. But the man hadn't called back, leaving Link worried and desperate.

His sleeping hadn't been much better… He'd stay up all night until about three in the after noon when Lenalee would come and takeover, leaving him with a two hour time to nap. He managed to get into the habit of staying clean and looking presentable, but the circles around his eyes refused to go. Allen wasn't much better either… Though the nightmares had subsided somewhere around Thursday night. His rib would bother him for a while still, Link knew that, but he wished there was something more he could do..

This night he was up late again, taking his now routine vigil by Allen's side, reading a book to distract from boredom. Allen let out a soft mew in his sleep, catching his attention for a second before returning to his book. He sighed. Things were uninteresting now.. He didn't want to admit it, but at least when Allen had awoken from terrible nightmares he could be helpful, petting the boy and easing him back into sleep. Now he was useless. Reading books and shoving pills down Allen's throat, getting him to eat some food here and there. He sank deeper into his self loathing, jumping when a vibrating sound was heard from his desk.

He flipped open his phone, not recognizing the number from any of the ones on the sheet (and by god he had checked them). It was a text reading: _Is this Allen's friend?_

Link stared at the text for a minute before replying: _Yes. And who might this be?_ He cursed under his breath at the confounded tiny buttons. He wasn't real big on texting…

He waited a solid five minutes before giving up on a reply and moving back to his book. Suddenly the ring tone was heard and he answered it before it awoke Allen.

"Hello?" He answered cautiously.

"Sorry, I had to make sure this was the right line.. Sometimes weird people try to call me."

The voice was husky and sing song like, very much like Allen's if the boy's vocal cords ever hit puberty. "This is…?"

"Oh right!" There was a light laugh, Link giving the phone an odd look. "You were looking for Allen's uncle, right? This is him…"

"Oh!" Link almost dropped his book and steadied himself for a bit before regaining balance in his chair. "Yes! You called back..!"

"Yeah.. Sorry I'm so late, I've been kind of busy… But you said something was up with Allen…?"

"Yeah.. Walker got into an… accident.. And by early Monday morning we will have no one to care for him… We would leave him with Cross, but…"

"Oh dear God, don't do that!" The voice laughed and Link tried to put together a mental picture of what its owner might look like. "Um.. well It's kind of hard for me to just show up whenever.. Is Allen really in trouble?"

Link adjusted the phone, feeling a glimmer of hope rise in his chest. "Well, you see.. Tuesday night Allen got injured and we had to rush him to the hospital…"

"Oh no, what happened?" The concern radiating on the other end seemed real enough so Link kept going, hoping that if the story was tragic enough (which it already was) the elusive uncle would come and care for his nephew.

"He got attacked by some kids. He's been staying at my place with a broken rib and some stitches in his head, but I can't take care of him after Sunday night."

"That's horrible.. Well I guess I can make it over.. My job's important, but not as important as my precious nephew!"

_Precious…?_ "Uh… great! When can we expect to see you?"

"Sunday morning. I'll be at Cross's house. Does that work?"

"Yes, that works out perfectly!" Link almost thought he'd leap for joy, finally finding someone to take over and care for Allen. "I'll see you then."

"Most certainly. I'm sorry your name is…?"

"Link." Link responded, holding out on pronouncing his first name, but did so anyways. "Howard Link."

"Link…" There was a pause and then a gasp from the other line. "You're Allen's…!"

"Huh?"

"Never mind. Well I'll see you then. Thanks for calling, and not making it about paying off Cross's debts!" The line went dead and Link ended up staring at it for a while, wondering what the last part had been about.

He shrugged it off and set the phone to the side, brushing a strand of hair out of Allen's eyes. He looked down at his partner, a habit he'd taken to doing once a night lately. He'd never had this much exposure to the younger teen… So much time to make out every detail in his face, and every imperfection of his left arm… The bruise on his face had finally started receding as well, making the other parts of Allen easier to focus on. It still bothered him to look at Allen's torso though.. The newer and much more violent bruises contained bitter looking frayed veins and drunken colors that blotted the pure white skin. He'd tried to count them on numerous occasions, but often times found that just looking at them made him sick.

It was also disappointing, that after all the time he'd been able to spend with the boy he still had only had very few light conversations with him. It was pretty much less than they had been talking before despite constantly being in each other's company, which made him feel empty and deprived.

He heard a knock at his door and stood up, surprised that anyone would be over this late. He walked to the door and opened it, seeing a very flustered looking Junior on the other side.

"Junior…"

"Listen, Two Spot, can I come in for just a bit? It's freezing and I think I'm having a panic attack.." The blond stood aside and let the red head in, unblinking as to the whereabouts he had come from. "Thanks man… Hey you got any coffee?"

"Yeah…" Link went to the kitchen and warmed a cup up in the microwave, watching Lavi wring his hands and sit on his couch.

"I don't think I can do it…" Lavi blew into his hands and pressed his face against them.

"Do what?"

"Sleep with Mikk…"

Link brought over the cup and kept his distance, still not fond of the red head despite their truce to keep civil for Allen's sake. "I told you not to."

"But it's probably the only way to keep those douche bags off Allen and Alma! What happens when they start picking off every little gay kid, one by one? I have to do this but…" He brought a hand to his forehead and groaned. "Why is it my gay sex that has to set the path and way for all gay sex everywhere?"

Link wasn't really sure how to even respond to something like that and instead shook his head. "Understanding you is impossible…"

"I've already agreed though.." Lavi bit his nail and was starting to set Link on edge. "And if I don't do it, what if he starts siking those bastards out on people..? Oh god I'd never be able to forgive myself…"

"Shut it."

"Huh?"

"If you don't want to, then explain that to him." Link sat on the coffee table's edge and crossed his legs. "He wants you for keeps, correct?"

Lavi turned away, continuing to bite his nail. "I think so… But I really can't be sure…"

"Then just tell him you only want a simple date. He's under the illusion or idea that he may love you correct?"

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure about that one…"

"Then he won't push anything onto you." He flipped his ponytail back and eyed the recent house crasher closely. "People who think or know they're in love have a tendency to listen to their interests. For the most part anyways… Sometimes they are out of control and therefore not in love, but in lust."

"It's probably just the whole lust thing.. But I don't think I can tell him to back off either… Link you're good at this romance shit, right?"

"I thought you said I sucked…"

"Whatever, I'm taking it back!" Lavi scooted over on the couch so he could get face to face with the blond, making him feel some apprehension. "Can I ask you something?"

"I.. guess.."

"Cool." Lavi straightened up and exhaled a deep breathe before going on. "So there's this girl…"

"Oh dear Jesus."

"Hear me out! Anyways. There's this girl. Me and this girl have been friends forever, right? Ok well not forever, but for a good deal of time. We totally get each other, y'know? She's hella fun to talk to and we talk about the coolest shit! But she's completely head over heels for some other guy, right?"

"Are you talking about Lenalee?" Link asked, astonished.

"NO! Not Lenalee! I wouldn't dare touch Lenalee.. She'd murder me… Her brother would murder me! Anyways, listen! So she likes this other guy, and I have no idea how to get her to like me! And I think this girl is the one who's distracting me from sleeping with Mikk…"

"First of all," Link raised a finger, "your manwhoring ways are going to scare of any sensible woman." Lavi opened his mouth, but the older male interrupted him. "Second of all, you shouldn't sleep with someone you're not interested in, especially if it's against your own morals, if you indeed have any. If this so called Mikk character really wants to claim you as his own, then he's going to have to respect your wishes. As for this female you show interest in, if she likes someone else it can't be helped. You can't force people to love you." The blond gave the red head a pointed look, referring to Lavi's persistence in trying to force himself upon people. "And if you interfere with her hope to get this with other guy, she may get mad at you and blow the whole thing up in your face. You'll just have to wait and see if she moves on."

Lavi sat back, seeming to be mulling over the advice Link had bestowed upon him. "So you're saying to wait and see.."

"Pretty much."

"But I have to sleep with Mikk tonight! But what if I start thinking about this girl…?"

"I have absolutely no experience in such regards." Link dusted himself off and stood, trying to usher the obnoxious friend of his partner's out of his house. "Now if you'll excuse me-"

"One more thing!" Lavi stood up as well, slightly pissing Link off since the high school senior was taller than him. "You said that if my girl likes someone else, then I just have to wait it out or whatever right?"

"Yes…"

"Did Allen like someone else before you asked him out?"

Link's eyes widened. What was this about? "I don't know what you're…"

"It's a simple question. Did Allen have someone else in mind before you started dating him?"

"Yes…" Link felt the answer fall out against his will, wanting to take it back instantly. What kind of question was that? Unless… "I think you should go, Junior."

"Yeah, on it." Lavi saluted and walked out back into the cold, leaving Link in a state of confusion.

_Why would he ask me for advice…? The only person I've dated is Allen so... _He bit his lip, staring angrily at the spot where Lavi had exited through.

"You son of a bitch."

**I'm making trouble~! I make things way harder for Link than I ever should... I think I sort of see him as the main character despite how it's both Allen AND Link, but I pick on the poor blond dude way more...**

**Wonder who the mystery uncle is... Guess you'll have to find out next chapter.**

**Reviews are awesome if you're down to give them! I mean, I'll upload each week regardless (not like I have anything better to do with the bajillion fucking chapters I've already written for this thing), but they feel good, y'know?**

**Aiight, peace homies! See ya next week!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Uploading this a day early since I'm sure I'm going to be mondo busy tomorrow...**

**Things to keep in mind about this fic: There are more shippings than just Allen/Link, though it is Pie centered. Though Lavi's not part of the pairing, he still plays a really big role in this story, so I focus on his tale as well as Link and Allen's. Also I wrote this with the idea to go over the trials of life and complications with reality and stuff like that, so though it may not always be realistic, I try to put in lessons or keep it from getting out of control. Unlike a lot of stories where there's one big problem and in the end it gets resolved in one way or another, this one goes over several huge complications so naturally it's going to be a bazillion chapters.**

**Hang in there, readers!**

Chapter Nine

He'd gotten here a lot earlier than expected…

Lavi was sitting at a table by himself, reading over a menu and feeling his heart rate accelerate. He was hoping Link wouldn't notice the secret meaning behind his asking for advice. Did one normally ask how to whisk someone off their feet from their current boyfriend? He shook his head, focusing again on Mikk's arrival. He decided to try what Link told him, and ask for not having sex tonight, but maybe offer a few more dates or something… Normally he didn't have a problem with sleeping among people he wasn't fond of… Sex kind of just came naturally to him, and whether it be male or female, he was usually on top of things (he smirked at his own little literal joke). But Mikk was a different deal… And now since he was having conflicting feelings towards someone else, this was a lot harder than he anticipated.

After about ten minutes in of him sitting there playing with bread and butter, Tyki magically appeared out of thin air and made the red head jump a little.

"This seat taken?" The older man with dark curls smiled politely, but unlike Allen's smile it came off as creepy, not cute…

"No.. Go ahead…" He had trouble handling this situation… Why did he have to be the homo messiah?

"In all honesty I'm very glad you called me, Lavi. Even though I know you are only doing this for your little white haired friend's sake, it still brings joy to my heart to know that-"

"How did you know it was Allen…?" Lavi dropped the fork he with messing with and looked Tyki straight on.

"I heard my two idiotic cousins bragging about it to my niece. She wasn't very interested, so they came and told me, though I'm not sure why." The man pulled a bored expression. "I think they forget half the time that I'm not a hundred percent straight… But they relayed the whole thing to me and once they described the white haired boy, I remembered that he was your good friend and scolded them." Lavi shrunk back into his chair as raw gold eyes turned back to him. "Happy?"

Lavi shook his head. "No, you gotta do better than that, Mikk-"

"Call me Tyki."

"Whatever, Tyki. But you gotta prevent them from going out and smashin' on any other kids, including Allen's case. Gay bashin's a hate crime, man, and if they keep this up then I'm calling the police. That's why I called you…"

Tyki sighed and rested his head on his palm. "Why can't you ever call me just because you want to see me?"

"Because I honestly don't really want to see you…" Lavi drawled. This conversation was dwindling off from the main point. "But if you can prevent those cousins of yours from going around and hittin' people, I'll give you a chance. A good chance. One where I'm sober, even."

Tyki straightened up at this folding his hands into a bridge under his chin. "Anything for you, my little Eye Patch."

"And quit callin' me that…" Lavi tried to hide under the glass of water he was drinking. "It's just weird, man…"

"How about sweet heart?"

"No."

"Honey?"

"No."

"Cupcake?"

"No, no and no."

Tyki threw up his hands and gave a resigned huff. "I give up! I have tried every adorable nickname in the book and you are just shutting them down faster than I can come up with them!"

Lavi spat a little, never going to admit that the comment made him giggle slightly. "How about you just stick with Lavi for now, kay?"

"Whatever you wish for, I will do my best to grant it." Lavi stiffened up, feeling uncomfortable with the older man looking over him like some kind of dessert. But… He wasn't having as much of a horrifying time as he had originally thought… The rest of their dinner went kind of similarly, what with Tyki saying embarrassing things and Lavi trying to make sure no one else had heard them. Sometimes the rashness reminded him of things Allen would say when the boy was in an unpleasant mood. Allen… He'd had to reprimand himself several times throughout their meal for thinking of his best friend. It was starting to get a little annoying, if he was to be truthful with himself. After spending time with Tyki, the guy wasn't half bad… Socially awkward, cheesy as hell, and rude to boot at times… But not entirely bad.

All the same, falling for Tyki would be a betrayal towards Allen. Or would it? Link had Allen, and the stuck up blond wasn't going to let the boy go anytime soon. He didn't know if he was even romantically interested in Allen, mostly because he'd never thought that way about anyone… But it would be unfair to start something with someone else while he was still caught up in his own turmoil.

After they were both full and a check was called, Lavi reached for his wallet, but felt a hand touch his arm lightly.

"Let me. My treat."

Lavi burned up, venting his frustration as anger. "What do you think I am? Some kind of poor trash? I can pay for my own meal!"

Tyki shook his head, the pinned up curls in the back bobbing slightly. "You've paid me the honor of a date, so I'll get the bill. You don't really have any say in the matter either; my money, I'll spend it how I want." The act made Lavi think of Link… Link was always spewing nonsense like that, and for once he got a taste of what it might be like to be Allen.

He rolled his eye and leaned back in his chair pouting. "Whatever… do what you want…"

After paying the bill and assembling their table so the waiters would have an easier time of picking up after them, they headed outside, Tyki heading to his car.

"This night was entirely too short, Eye Patch."

Lavi lifted his head, a slight confusion buzzing through him. "What do you mean..?"

"I would very much love to spend more time with you, but we've had our meal and eaten and such, so we should probably be going our separate ways. I hope you'll enlighten me with another date sometime soon though."

Lavi still wasn't quite catching on. "You're not gonna try to kidnap me to your apartment and have your way with me…?"

The question had been entirely serious, but Mikk started to crack up, using his car for support. "Haha! Maybe another time, Eye Patch. But it's only the first date. Gentleman's Code says I can't do that."

Well now he was just struck dumb… Tyki wasn't trying to sleep with him..? Maybe Link was right… And he hated that the bane of his existence might be right. He awkwardly started to walk away before an arm held him back. "However.." He heard Tyki say, and his heart rate sped up again. _So he really is going to kidnap and rape me…_ "May I?" The taller man bent down, leaning his face in front of Lavi's, keeping an inch's distance.

Lavi found that his tongue had decided to go on vacation and settled with a little nod instead. Tyki closed the space between them and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. It was different from a lot of the kissing he did with his boredom relief girls… Softer and less aggressive. He couldn't decided if he liked it or not and ended up pulling away, turning his head from his date.

"You didn't like it." Tyki stated bluntly.

"I don't know.." Lavi bit his lip and took a step back. "I'm really no good with the whole touchy feely romance deal…"

The older male smiled and shrugged. "As to be expected. I knew you wouldn't be so easy." He walked away, opening the driver car door. "But mark my words, sweet heart. And don't glare at me like that I'll call you whatever I like. Be it I have to wait a few weeks or a good number of years, I'll make sure you fall in love with me."

Lavi tossed a laugh and clapped. "I'll be over here, wishing you the best of luck, Mikk!"

With that the astute Noah member drove off, leaving Lavi to go to his own car and drive home. Tonight wasn't terrible… He still wasn't sure what his feelings for Tyki were though. If he had his way, he'd want to just be friends with the man, but like the guy would ever just accept that. He huffed a tense sigh and tried to focus on the road. What was Allen doing right now…? Probably sleeping with that snobby Two Spot sitting over him getting all gushy. He snorted at the thought and tried to rub out the idea of those two. Was he really falling for Allen? That was just a disaster waiting to happen.

He wondered though… What if Allen had dated him instead of Link…? In the end it would probably be a harsh break up, and the red head and younger boy would never talk to each other again. At least that's how most best friends to lovers deal went. With Allen and Link it was a different kind of thing… Allen had confessed feelings of utter repulse to Lavi at first about the older blond, since he'd been kind of a nuisance to the teen during Allen's freshman year. But over the year a weird tension had kind of grown between the two, and instead of spewing abominations against Link, the confessions turned into ones of what might the guy want, what he liked, what he did on weekends. When Allen had first come to him saying that Link had asked him out, the red head had thought it was a joke, since the two avoided each other for the whole next week. He continued thinking it was just some kind of play, the couple never touching each other or really interacting. After about three months of the nonsense, Lavi had tried to convince Allen of what real couples did, hoping the teen would see where the error in dating Link was and break it off with him. But Link had taken advantage of his advice and made things work… Damn him. The stupid college prick was convinced of being in love with Allen, that night at the hospital had proved it. But Allen wasn't even grown up… There was still plenty of time for Allen to change and mature, and was most likely eventually going to get tired of Link smothering him all the time with rules and regulations.

He grinned quietly to himself. The clock had only just begun ticking. He'd give another six months, if even that. Allen wasn't one to allow himself to be caged up or held back, and that was exactly how Link operated. The phone, the keeping Allen in his house, the many lectures to Lavi himself… The guy was a stuck up prude and clearly didn't fit Allen's style. He would just wait for the opportunity when Allen would come complaining to him about how he couldn't stand being with Link anymore, then he could tell that stupid blond to buzz off.

Then he'd be the only one Allen could trust. And once Allen realized that, he'd be shortly afterwards jumping right into the arms of the awaiting red head.

oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo OOOOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOO OO

_The air was stale and tainted with he scent of something he couldn't quite put his finger on. Everything was quiet. He found himself in a dark room surrounded with books lining the floor. A portrait hung on the wall, and upon seeing the figure painted upon it he scowled in disgust. It was his old living room… The house he'd lived in before everything went awry and Leverrier had taken him in. Books, books, books… But this smell… It wasn't the warming exhilaration of molding paper that filled his nostrils now… Something else…_

_He took a step later, jerking back upon hearing a small squishing noise. He looked down, seeing a wet substance cover the normally soft carpet. A metallic tang persisted at the back of his mouth, making his eyes water slightly. What was this..? The strange scent that kept bothering him seemed to be arising from the puddle that appeared to be growing beneath his feet. _

_ He kept moving forward, following the trail. The dark made it hard to see so he was going on the squishing noises his boots made more than anything else. At last he came to a light switch, flicking the on button and getting a new look at the room. He almost threw up at what he saw…_

_ Just a few feet away from him was the source of the wet stuff he'd been tracking. A teenage boy with snow white hair lay in the midst of a pool of blood, eyes opened wide but unseeing. His mouth lay agape in an eternal scream and he thought he might pass out. But he continued forward, hoping that this wasn't what it seemed._

_ "Allen…" He dropped to his knees and shuddered at the sensation of his partner's blood soaking into his pants. "Allen… Wake up…" He put a shaking hand on the boy's shoulder and prodded gently, emitting no response whatsoever. "Please… Oh Please no…" He lightly picked the limp body up and caressed it in his arms, feeling an unrelenting sadness racking him. "Allen wake up.. Allen please… Just wake up…" _

_"This is all your fault." He turned at the new voice, seeing a tal__l man standing behind him wearing a black business suit. He looked up, but couldn't make out the figure's face. It was being hid in the shadows, the only detail he could make out was the short, blond hair._

_ "No! You did this!" He felt his voice wavering uncontrollably and fought to remain calm. "Why would you kill him?!"_

_ "Like with everything you try to take care of," The deep voice stated, "In the end you'll only hurt him."_

"ALLEN!"

Link jerked up from his disturbing dream, panting and feeling a cold sweat covering his body. He shifted his eyes around all corners of the room, making sure Allen was still there and resting. He jumped up and checked the boy's pulse, heaving a sigh of relief upon finding it pumping with life as he had left it. The blond ran the back of his hand over the boy's face, finding comfort in the warmth it radiated.

"Link…?" His eyes weren't open, but Allen's voice rang loud and clear in Link's ears.

_Thank God.. It was just a nightmare__… _"Hey… How are you feeling?"

Now the younger's silver-violet eyes opened, a slight mist covering them from sleep. "I think I'm doing better… My chest still hurts, but it's manageable as long as I don't move…"

Link nodded and continued petting Allen's hair. "Good. Maybe I can lower your dosage so you can actually be conscious from time to time."

Allen let out a short laugh, wincing as he grabbed his rib. "I've been leaving you alone this whole time, haven't I?"

"It's no big deal," the blond lied. "You need your rest, and I want you to get better."

"Link…" He felt Allen's rough hand reach up and touch his face. The contact brought more security to him, making the awful dream feel more far away. "Thank you so much.. For everything…"

He took the hand and held it more firmly against his cheek, reveling in the texture that existed no where else on this earth other than Allen's left arm. "Just doing my duty."

"I thought your 'duty' was to become Leverrier's lawyer." Allen giggled.

Link tried not to smile and ended up giving a cough instead. "That's just an occupation. My duty is to you."

He watched the boy blush and felt a red of his own blossoming on his face. Maybe he really should quit with the cheesy lines…

"You should kiss me…"

Link felt his blood freeze and a pounding pick up in his chest. Kiss Allen? A for real kiss? He took in a shaky breath and tried to play off his refusal coolly. "You're not old enough."

"Link, kiss me."

"Allen, no."

"Howard, yes."

He stiffened up at the use of his first name, but didn't feel the anger he normally did. Instead he put his forehead against Allen's and drank in the scent of his partner's breath, however rank from elongated rest. "What'd I tell you about using that name?"

"It's mine." Allen declared softly, reaching up a hand and running his fingers through Link's braid. "I can use it however I want. Now, kiss me."

Link hesitated, then leaned forward and planted his lips lightly over the pentacle scar on Allen's forehead. He felt the younger inhale slowly, the fingers running through his hair stopping shortly by his neck. "Link, you fink. Kiss me properly."

"Just for that little nick name you're getting nothing." Link smiled against Allen's forehead and heard the teen give an exasperated sigh.

"I'm never gonna win…"

"Never ever."

They sat like for a few minutes, Link not yet wanting to lose touch with his partner. This was real… The dream was fake and this was real… He was still a bit shaken from the horrible images, every single one imprinted in his mind with no ailments in clarity. It was a dream he'd had a few times before… They had started occurring around the time him and Allen had actually started spending time with each other as dates. It was the number one reason he never slept in the same room as Allen, and he mentally chastised himself for allowing himself to do so for the second time this week. What if he called out in his sleep and Allen overheard? The boy would probably think he was mental and leave him, and he most certainly didn't want that.

He sat back up, stretching ferociously and releasing a big yawn. He checked the clock, seeing how he'd only gotten about forty minutes of sleep, and they hadn't been a very pleasant forty minutes either… Suddenly he remembered his phone call last night, excited to tell Allen about it.

"Hey Allen."

"What?" Allen gave him a pout, probably still feeling stingy about getting duped on a kiss.

"Guess who's coming over tomorrow morning."

"Who?" Now the boy seemed interested, opening his eyes a little more. It was good to see Allen awake and interactive again… Link had missed chatting with him.

"Your uncle."

"Cross?"

"No, no, no." Link frowned and waved a hand. "I'd never do that to you…"

Allen's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. "Neah…?"

"Neah?" Link questioned.

The white haired teen threw his hands to his mouth and squeaked. "I mean… Um… Just a joke! Haha… My uncle's name isn't Neah Walker.. that's just silly… so silly…"

Link raised an eyebrow and leaned on his palm. "Allen, what are you talking about?"

Allen lowered his hands and gave Link a strange look. "You don't know the name Neah Walker…?"

"Not a clue."

"Oh…"

"Should I? Is he some sort of criminal?" Suddenly a twinge of worry shot through him that he might have invited a convict to watch over Allen…

"No! He's just well known!" Allen looked away. "Really well known… But I supposed you don't watch a lot of TV, do you?"  
"Nope." Link replied. "What's he known for?"

"Well he's a song writer, and an actor.. And he's pretty good with a piano. They call him a modern day Elton John a lot… But you can't tell anyone he's my uncle!"

"I wasn't planning on it… Any reason?"

Allen bit his lip and rubbed one of the sore spots on his torso gingerly. "If people find out… They might try to associate with me only to meet my uncle… And I don't really want any friends like that, or for them to respect me only because I'm related to a celebrity…" he mumbled.

Link sighed and intertwined his fingers with Allen's. "I can understand that. Well, you have my word, no one else will know. Unless that damned ginger brat busts in as he usually does…" He ground his teeth together, hissing the last part out in a low voice.

"You're more angry with him than usual… What happened?"

The blond realized he was squeezing his partner's hand and loosened his grip automatically. "He was asking weird questions…"

"What kind of questions…?"

"The kind I got duped into answering and now regret doing so…" The red head had made it seem like he was looking for advice on a girl, but Link was sure there was a secret meaning. It didn't help his hypothesis that the red head had been bashing him ever since he and Allen had started dating, making his suspicions all the more clear. "He hates me. You know that, right?"

"I think he's just jealous since he's not the only one I talk to anymore… But he's gonna have to kind of get over it because…" Link felt the rough left hand tighten slightly against his. "You're important to me too now, but I don't wanna lose either of you…"

Link sighed, releasing his hand from Allen's and standing up. "I know…" He chewed his cheek, not wanting to mention the argument he and Lavi had had in the parking lot about Lavi finding out Link was actually in love with Allen… And the red head had been even more pushy since he'd been more affectionate to his own partner. _First he gets on my case for not being caring enough, then I'm too much…? I__'m never going to be able to satisfy that blockhead._

His phone rang and he gave it an odd look before picking it up. No caller ID was displayed so he was guessing it might be Allen's uncle again.

"Who is it?" asked Allen.

"No idea…" Link opened his phone and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Is this the Dink fucker, or whatever your name is?"

Wrong uncle… Link sighed upon hearing Cross's voice come through his phone speaker. "If you are looking for Link, then yes that is me."

"My stupid nephew there?"

Link felt a defense rising in his throat but pushed it down and replied back without raising his tone. "Yes he is. I suppose you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah, smartass. Put him on."

Link snorted and handed the phone to Allen. "Sorry, unfortunately it's for you."

Allen took it with a confused look, not getting up from his lying down position "Hello?... No…. I don't know…. I'm getting a little better… Yeah I called work… And the school… They said they'd send me homework… Oh? Well that's your own fault… No I'm not coming home tonight… Maybe tomorrow…" Allen rolled his eyes and Link gave a light upwards twitch of the mouth in understanding. "Link got ahold of Neah… Yeah I was surprised too… Tomorrow morning… Yes… No, I can't get up right now… No you're not coming over…. But my chest… I don't think you get it… Ok I'm gonna go now… Ok, bye." Allen shut the phone and groaned loudly. "Sometimes I think he cares… He just sucks at being a parent…"

The blond nodded and took the phone back, tucking in Allen before handing him the boy's phone. "If it's ok, I'm gonna go lay down on the couch for a bit… Here's your phone though, my number is in it so don't hesitate to call if you need anything at all."

"Got it." Allen smiled and Link pointed at him crossly.

"I mean it. Anything at all, you call. I don't mean to ditch out on you, but seeing as you're doing a little bit better I'd like to catch up on some sleep…"

"Link, it's fine." Allen gave the older male a light push. "You need your sleep. I'll be good, and I promise to call if I need anything."

The college student nodded and headed to his restroom first, knocking back a few melatonin pills for stress relief. He flopped onto his couch and lay there, watching the wintry sun rays light up his living room. He sighed and closed his eyes, trying to filter out any remaining images of his most recent nightmare from his brain. Brains were funny like that… whenever you needed rest most they'd bring up the most horrible fear you'd ever known, making any sort of sleep impossible. Luckily the pills kicked in rather quick and he felt himself drifting off.

Just as he was about to sleep, a knock sounded at his door. He inwardly cursed to himself and staggered up, answering to see his least favorite person.

"Yo, Two Spot! Got a minute?" Lavi grinned.

"No." Link shut the door, but felt the red head hold it back.

"Whoa bro! Hostile!" Lavi pushed his way in and the blond verbally growled. "Dude, what's gotten into you? I thought we were reaching kind of an understanding point lately!"

"Lavi." He addressed the Junior Bookman on first name basis, since he seemed to listen better that way. "Over this past week I have gotten perhaps a total of six hours of sleep. I'm not trying to seem like a bad host, but I am exhausted and do not really care for your company right now." He folded his arms, the pills taking more affect and he sat on the couch, more accidental than intentional.

"Ok, ok. Just hear what I have to say, alright?" Lavi sat on the coffee table across from him and was grinning like an idiot. Link had the most intense sensation to punch the virus in the face. "You know what you said last night? About how if Tyki loves me he won't force me to sleep with him?"

"Whatever." Link grumbled.

"Well it totally worked! I didn't even have to ask him, he didn't even bring it up! I think you might be right and the dude actually has feelings for me! Can't say I feel the same but…"

"Junior, go home…"

"But I was telling you an awesome story-"

"Go home." Link closed his eyes and waved a hand to shoo the red head off.

"You're a real piece of work, Two Spot. Build a guy up then knock him down? Not even Kanda has the-"

"Get out of my house."

"But-"

"NOW."

He heard Lavi sputter a bit then some shuffling, signaling the red head getting up. "Fine then! I'll leave, if that's what you want so bad!"

"Good."

"Oh by the way how's Allen-"

"GET OUT!" Usually he tried to keep his temper, but all he wanted was sleep right now. He heard a mutter and the door closing, feeling a sense of peace at the finally quiet atmosphere in his house. He was ready to drift off again, when his phone went off.

"Hello…?"

"Link…? I'm really sorry… but my chest…"

"Be right there." He closed the phone and got up again, dragging his feet back to the room to where Allen was laying.

He had the boy swallow the pills along with some water, situating him back down once doing so. "Anything else you need while I'm here?"

"No not really…" Allen uttered, looking a bit better after a few minute's pass. "Was that Lavi I heard?"

"Yeah… Sorry, I yelled at him to get out…"

"He'll get over it." Allen brushed his hand gently and smiled. "Go get some sleep, Link."

Link nodded, too tired to talk anymore and collapsed in a heap upon his couch. He listened closely for anymore signs of disturbance before giving a 'hmph' of satisfaction and drifting off. For real this time.

Little did he know, the annoyances in his life were only beginning to increase…

**I'm so mean to Link! Augh, I'm horrible to him! This poor dude only wants to love and squeeze the crap out of under aged kids and I put him through so much shit... Also for those of you who guessed Neah was the mystery uncle, you would be correct :)**

**Heyyyy remember when I said a few chapters back to keep loving Lavi no matter what happens? Keep that in mind over the next thirteen or so chapters... He's not bad, I promise, just difficult for a little bit.**

**Until next week!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Holy crap I'm so late in uploading this... That's what happens when School butts on you :I**

**Anyway, I'll still be uploading on Wednesdays so I guess you'll just have a shorter waiting period for the next one ^^;**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Ten

Saturday flew by, Link hardly noticed it was ever there in the first place.

He had awoken on several occasions to his phone ringing, glad that Allen was taking to heart to call him for help, but also a bit frazzled by only having one to one and a half hour sleeping periods. It couldn't be helped though…. The boy would call for help to get up so he could use the restroom or if he needed water, or if he was hungry. At least he was coming back, which made Link much more than happy. At three Lenalee came and took over for him, saying she'd stay an extra hour so he could get a more solid sleeping period in. He nodded and thanked her, taking to the office at that point.

By six pm Lenalee prodded him awake to say she had to go, and that Allen was starting to gain a little more color. He thanked her again, checked to make sure Allen's phone was still on, gave a short goodnight and went back to the couch to sleep for his first full night in ages. It wasn't a very pleasant sleep though, the nightmare from before attacked again, leaving him to wonder why it had been occurring more frequently… He shrugged them off and blamed it on all the stress lately, popping a few more melatonin before heading back to bed.

Sunday he woke up early. It was about six am, but he wanted to be ready when going to face Allen's mysterious uncle (who apparently was some form of movie/ singing star… Honestly he didn't care as long as he wasn't the guy from the Transformers movie Allen had made him watch…) He headed into the bathroom for shower and clean up, stopping in the mirror, which he hadn't cared to look at since Thursday. He halted short, patting his hair down and rubbing at his eyes to try to wipe away the circles. He put a hand to his face, rubbing at short stalks of stubble, deciding it would be better to shave again today.

The thing that bothered him most though, was his face and overall body shape; he hadn't been eating properly at all this whole week, and it was starting to show… His cheek bones were a bit more prominent, the shape of his shoulder bones were coming through a little, and his stomach was taking a slight dip inwards. He stood on a scale, mentally reprimanding himself for letting himself lose this much weight. If he didn't gain it back, and in muscle strength at that, Leverrier would be very disappointed… It was part of the public display thing. Each and every kid learning under the sponsorship of the Leverrier's, a small and elite group of children known as CROW, were expected to exceed academically and present an appearance that was publically attractive. Especially those who were brought into the public eye more often, as it would be Link's job when he graduated as their lawyer in the next year and a half or so. He'd have to regain the weight and start exercising again if he wanted to be as impressive as he would be paid to be.

He cleaned up, made a more substantial breakfast for himself (which no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't finish it all and ended up being sick), and put on his formal daily attire. A dark green vest with a white dress shirt underneath, complete with tie and black dress pants. He was straightening out his tie, when he heard his phone ring at about eight 'o' clock am.

"Hello?"

"Hey, I just thought I'd let you know, I'm gonna be at Cross's in about thirty minutes…" The voice which Link could only describe as sing song and whimsical rang clear through the speaker.

"Great. I will make sure Allen is ready and there by that time."

"Ok. Don't rustle him too much though if he's not feeling well…"

"Wouldn't dream of it."

The line disconnected and he inhaled, letting it out in a smooth and relaxed breath. He walked over to Allen's nest of blankets and pillows, reluctantly attempting to ruse the snoring heap of bruises and white hair awake.

"Allen… Allen you have to wake up now…"

The boy threw out an arm, hitting Link lightly. "No…"

He felt a light feeling in his chest, happy to see Allen was starting to be more Alleny. "We have to meet your uncle in about 25 minutes, I gotta clean you up and dress you."

"No."

"You don't have a say in the matter. You haven't showered in a week, you smell worse than Lavi's cologne."

Allen lifted his head and glared at him, the sight was almost too comical for him to handle… Messy white hair pointing every which way, pouty lips trying to strike up a frown… He coughed in substitution of laughing outright. "Link I don't wanna wake up right now…"

"But you have to. You're gonna go home today, and your uncle's taking over. The good one, I mean…"

"Fuck that." Link stiffened at Allen's cursing, seeing the more real side of Allen shining through. "I wanna stay here with you…"

He pet Allen's head gently, cooing to him in the way he liked to think only he knew how. "But I have to go to school again, and so do you, Mister. I want to keep you here too, but I won't even be here for most of tomorrow…"

Allen brought his arms up and hugged one of Link's arms, snuggling into it like a cat. "Linky…"

"That's not going to work on me." Although it was a very convincing argument…

"Fine." Allen stuck out his tongue and started gripping his chest. "Oh the pain! I can't move!"

"Stop that, now you're just being a drama queen."

"Liiiiiink…"

"No. Get up." He started to drag the boy (carefully of course, due to the rib and bruises) out from under the covers and pull him towards him. "Get up or else."

"Or else what?" Allen cocked a challenging grin and Link lifted his shirt and start blowing on the younger's belly. "AHAHAHAA! LINK STOP! HAHA!" The white haired teen threw back his head and started screaming out with laughter. "NO SERIOUSLY! HHAHAAAAHAA! MY CHEST HAHA MY CHEST LINK! AHAHAAHAHA OH GOD HAHA!"

Link pulled back, giving Allen time to recover and ride out his giggle fit. "You alright?" he checked.

Allen wiped a tear from his eye and let out a huge sigh, still smiling. "The drugs are still taking their effect, so it wasn't that bad. Though I still never even imagined you'd ever do something like that! Isn't it against the rules for older guys to give razz berries to underage little boys?" He pointed to himself.

"Hmph! Little boy, my ass. You were playing me like a fiddle, that act of mine was my only defense." Link kept his serious face on, which seemed to peeve the white haired boy just a bit. "Ok, but seriously. You awake enough now so I can dress you and make you not smell so bad?"

Allen harrumphed and puffed his cheeks. "Whatever…"

He lifted Allen into a sitting position, trying to keep the boy's back straight as he found a simple sweatshirt and pants for him to borrow. They quickly went into the bathroom, removing all but Allen's boxers and scrubbing him from head to toe outside the shower, using sponge's and whatnot since he didn't trust Allen's ability to do it himself right now. After putting Allen into the clothes they used a hair dryer to sap all the moisture from the boy's thick, white locks.

"Link, I thought only girls had hair dryers…"

"And I thought little boys respected their elders. Now keep quiet, I'm almost done."

After Allen was all dried and prepared, looking a lot better than he had in ages despite the half assed clothing, Link picked him up and carried him outside.

"You don't have to carry me…" Allen grumbled nervously into the older's tie.

Link ignored the comment and kept going, knowing that Allen's ability to walk right now wasn't the best after having been in a bed all week. He placed Allen gingerly in the back seat, making sure the boy was comfortable before taking up his stance in the driver's seat and setting off.

They made it to Allen's house about ten minutes later, making Link irked due to their late arrival, but Allen said his uncle was probably going to be even later. At this point the drugs were wearing off and Allen was starting to make little huffing sounds and situating himself in ways to make his chest feel better. Link grabbed the painkillers from his pocket and a water bottle, having Allen taken them in the back seat before helping him out of the car. As predicted, the boy's legs were about as useful as Jell-O, so even with the risk of Cross seeing them Link had to pick up Allen again and walked into the boy's house. Allen wrinkled his nose as Link set him on the couch, Cross having been too busy with something upstairs to come greet them.

"Why does no one ever tell me this place smells so bad?"

"Oh hush, quit complaining. You'll be fine." He propped up some pillows lying around under Allen's head and grabbed a nearby blanket to tuck him in with. "After I talk to your uncle, I'll put you in your own bed upstairs, alright?"

"Ok."

Apparently Allen was right, for the mystery uncle showed up about thirty minutes after his predetermined arrival. Link kept watch at the window, keeping an ear pointed at Allen in case he needed anything. He saw a sleek black car pull up, a figure wearing a bandana over his face, sunglasses and a hat stepping out and walking to the door. The blond moved from the window and opened the door just as the man outside was about to knock.

"Oh!" Link got a better look at the man, though it was hard to recognize any details whatsoever with all the goofy crap covering his face. "Wow, you're good! You my friend, are very good." He stepped in, taking a few suit cases in with him.

"Uncle Neah!" Allen shouted from the couch, and Link was forced to step back as the shady figure pushed past him to get to Allen.

"Allen! How are you? What happened? I mean, I know what happened… But.. What is this on your cheek?" The man placed a gentle hand on Allen's bruised (but not as violently bruised) cheek, setting Link on a slight edge. "Who would dare hit my adorable nephew?" The man turned up and pointed at Link, sunglasses and all still attached. "Was it you? By God man, if you've touched my precious nephew-"

"Uncle Neah that's Link…" Allen offered from the couch.

"Link? Howard Link? The one from the phone?" Neah rushed forward and grabbed Link's face in his hand, turning him every which way. "Allen dear, you made him sound way cuter…"

Link blushed and moved his head away from the man, not entirely capable of handling him. "Walker, you told him?"

"Don't worry!" Allen waved a hand. "Uncle Neah doesn't mind at all! He even knows the age difference thing."

Link felt his heart racing and grabbed a window ledge for support. What was going on? How many people knew now…? He counted off: Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, Komuii, and now this guy… Oh that was entirely too many… He was going to be thrown in jail by the end of the month.

"Walker? Walker!? What is this Walker business?" Neah grabbed Link's tie, bringing the blonde's face to his own. "You can't even call him on a first name basis? Neither can you!" He turned, pointing at Allen. "You guys suck! If you're going to risk becoming a pedophile to date my wonderful nephew, then you might as well do it right!"

"Uncle Neah, keep it down…" Allen shushed. "Cross can't know…"

"Oh, right!" The man put a hand to his forehead, Link completely unable to read the expression due to the ridiculous get-up, but guessed it was a comical one. "I forget that my old friend's not exactly the most excepting human being…" He exasperated a sigh and sat on the edge of the couch next to Allen. He pulled the fifteen year old into a tight hug, making Allen choke a gasp and grab his side.

"U-Uncle Neah…" Allen whimpered, looking on the verge of tears.

"Oh Shi- I mean… Um… Oh God Allen, I'm so sorry.. I forgot…"

Link felt himself kind of awkwardly standing off to the side, not really being included and wondering if he'd made the right choice in assigning this lunatic the job of caring for his partner.

"Hey you there, Blondie!" Neah addressed the blond and he felt his heart sink at the introduction to yet another crummy nick name. "Do your boyfriend duty and make my beloved nephew feel better!"

Link blinked for a second, trying to move his mouth, but found absolutely no words pouring out. What was he supposed to do..? Usually when he comforted Allen no one else was around… Or there was the night in the hospital, but that was an emergency and this was… "I.. Um.. I…"

"Allen, this one sucks."

Allen let out what sounded like a forced laugh, probably still in pain from the pressure that had been applied to his injured rib despite the drugs. "He's just shy in front of people he doesn't know or like."

Link felt his face heat up and he turned away, feeling like a lump of cheap clay. If he was worked into it a little, he might be able to do something… But he didn't even know this uncle or if he could be trusted… Well.. Allen seemed to trust him. He took in a deep breath, one that he made sure the others didn't see and made his way over to the couch. Neah got up, offering his spot right next to Allen. Link took a seat and started petting Allen's now clean white hair.

"Sorry I 'suck'."

"Uncle Neah you hurt his feelings." Allen pouted, moving a hand up to stroke Link's cheek. "And for the record you don't suck. At least I don't think so." He smiled and Link felt the butterflies in his stomach start up some kind of team death match.

"Awe, see! That's a lot better! Couples are s'posed to be cute! Not stiff." Neah clapped for a moment before continuing. "Now call my nephew by his adorable first name."

Link felt something catch in his throat and coughed for a minute, trying to get it out. "W-what?" He'd never called Allen his first name in front of others, with the exception of Lenalee and Lavi of course (but only because they had been around so much he had gotten used to them… And he admitted part of it was to rub it in the face of that horrendous red head). But Neah was a complete stranger…

"Uncle Neah, I told you… Link's kind of shy…"

"To hell with that!" Neah swiped his arm across in a flamboyant fashion, striking an odd pose. It made sense that this guy was an actor… He was certainly weird enough for it. "He can't call you Walker, because I'm Walker too! How am I supposed to know which Walker he's addressing?" The man crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the blond, possibly giving him a stern look, but since no one could see his face it was anyone's guess. "I hand picked that name for my brother to call him, now do me the honors of using it, boyfriend!"

Link felt a hand touch his arm, and turned over to see Allen smiling painfully. He felt a stab in his chest and a sense of powerlessness at his incapability to care for his own partner. Out of pure desperation he took Allen's hand into his own, intertwining the mangled finger's of Allen's hand with the calloused ones of his own. "Sorry Allen…" He whispered, feeling the hand in his grip a little tighter. His breakfast threatened to come back up, making him swallow harshly. He waited for it to recede before going on. "I just want to…"_ Keep this side of you all to myself so no one can see. Use your name as unfair leverage so every time I say it, it means something… _"It's hard to explain…"

Allen brushed a bang from his face, making the blonde's heart rate increase even more. "It's ok. I understand, you don't have to apologize."

Link turned to the side, letting out a yelp once realizing Neah's hidden face was practically right up against his. "Well done, boyfriend! See, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

The queasiness in his stomach refused to recede and the college student took in a shaky breath.

"Link, you know where the bathroom is…" Allen offered. Link nodded and ran over to the other side of the house.

OOoooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOoooooooooooooooooooOOOOOO OOOOOOOooooo

Allen watched his partner go, sighing and bringing the blankets up to his chin. His uncle resumed his seat beside him and lowered the bandana and sunglasses. It was almost like looking into a mirror… Everyone said that Neah looked way more like Allen than Mana ever did; the face, the hair texture, the eyes even… Like peering at a different toned version of himself… Neah had jet black hair that in the proper light looked a raven-like blue shade, his skin was more light coffee stain tan than Allen's porcelain white, and his eyes were a brilliant golden yellow color, as opposed to his own silver-violet. His uncle was young too, only about thirty one, which made him a lot easier to relate to. Allen wasn't really sure how old Cross was (or if the man knew himself), but he didn't have the rounding childish face that made Neah so popular and stunning in the world of Hollywood.

"What happened to him?" Neah asked, giving Allen a concerned look.

"He has a lot of problems with performing in public," Allen replied, feeling the pain in his chest recede once again. "Unless I'm really hurt or in trouble… He was with me the whole time I was in the hospital, and he's the one who's been taking care of me since they released me. Just give him some time, once he warms up to you he's a lot easier to handle."

"What's he doing in there?" The older man craned his neck, looking in the direction of the bathroom.

"Probably throwing up… He gets really nervous around me when I'm with other people."

"I notice you still call him by his last name as well," Neah raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "Is that part of the nervous thing too?"

"I don't know…" The white haired boy answered slowly. He chewed his cheek, stopping once he started to taste a slight amount of blood. "Link doesn't let me use his first name… Or anyone for that matter. He gets really mad about it if anyone tries…"

His uncle wrinkled his nose. "What's with that?"

"He's never told me… But I have things I haven't told him so I didn't push it. We all have our reasons."

"That we do."

They quieted down as Link returned, looking pale and a bit shaken. Allen reached out a hand and tried to obtain Link's sleeve, but the blond was standing too far away. "Step closer…" Link obliged, and the younger gripped his sleeve and shook it slightly. "Are you feeling better now?"

"I think I'm just tired… Woke up too early…" Allen felt the cold sweat breaking out through Link's clothes. He ran his hand up and down the arm lightly, trying to support some comfort into his partner.

"My bed's upstairs if you want to lay down for a bit."

"No… I think I might head back home… You two probably want to catch up anyway…" Allen felt his heart sink and gripped the sleeve tighter.

"Don't go home yet.."

Neah stood up and saluted the two, heading for the stairs. "Why don't you guys have a minute? I'll go check up on Cross and make sure he doesn't come down here, ok?"

"Thanks, Uncle Neah." Allen murmured. He turned back to Link, urging him to sit down beside him. Link followed the teen's instructions and sat a bit more cozily to the boy than when Neah had been in the room. Allen tried to sit up a little, wincing as a spark went off in his chest. "What's wrong…?"

"Am I making a good impression…?" Link mumbled, fidgeting with his hands.

The younger stared at his partner unblinkingly, trying to comprehend what Link just asked him. "Come again?"

The blond took in a shuddering breath and stopped messing with his hands. "With Cross I never really cared what he thought of me because he doesn't really like anyone… But this guy… Neah… He's your father's brother, and probably the closest family member you have… I can tell it just by looking at him…" Link bit his lip and shook his head. "The whole meeting the family deal's kind of wierding me out…"

Allen let out a short laugh, rubbing his boyfriend's shoulders and back soothingly. "Don't worry about being weird. Neah and I are both pretty distinct weirdos, so you being a weirdo is perfectly fine by us." He kissed Link on the cheek, feeling the older tense up under it for a second before melting against his lips. "Just be yourself. He'll like you just fine."

"Because that's worked so well with everyone else you've introduced me to."

"Hey." Allen turned Link to face him, pressing their foreheads together and stroking his partner's cheek. He ignored Link's currently rank breath and sweaty face, nothing of the sort really bothering him right now. "It doesn't matter how my friends or family think of you. If they don't like you for who you are then they don't know the real you. I'm staying by your side and I like you. Will that be enough?"

Link seemed to relax with this, the slight shaking his body had picked up subsiding. "More than enough."

"You still going home?"

"No. I want to give this another shot." Allen felt Link kiss his forehead, always in the place where his scar started. It was an odd feeling, for one to be comforted in their insecurity… Link had a way with finding all of Allen's self conscious aspects though, bringing them to light and showing them more affection than anywhere else. The blonde's theory on how these were the things that made Allen as Alleny as he was often times made the white haired teen blush. But he reveled in it… The thought that the deformities not even his friends offered to touch… That even Neah never brought up… Link acted like he loved them and it brought a happiness to Allen he couldn't describe. All the things he had hated about himself were not only just accepted by Link, but cherished, and there was no truly accurate way to describe the bright feeling that filled his heart.

In turn he thrived on Link's weaknesses. When the blond would show how tired he really was, or throw up or get nervous to the point of shaking… These were the things that only Allen got to see. Sure every once in a while someone might be around when Link had a mini break down, but the older confided in Allen, took refuge in him, just like how Allen wanted it to be.

They faced nose to nose, Allen running a hand down the man's shoulder length braid. He loved Link's hair… It was soft and well taken care of, and when the sun was shining on a summer afternoon it glowed a harvest golden color. He wanted to kiss this man now… Right now… He leaned forward, but stopped short when he felt a finger press his lips back.

"Walker, no."

"But Link…"

"You've been persisting this more often…" Allen opened his eyes to see the deep red ones of Link's staring into him.

Allen grinned and leaned forward just a bit. "You act like you don't want it, but I know you, Howard Link." He ran a finger down the man's torso, earning a slight whelp.

"Walker, cut it out." Link put a hand on Allen's chest, but made no move to push him away.

"Are you too nervous to call me Allen right now?" Allen gave Link's nose a small kiss on the very tip, still feeling no pressure of being pushed back. "You want this…"

"I… I just threw up…" Link stuttered. Link never stuttered… Maybe the teen was winning?

"I don't care." Allen grabbed Link's face between both his hands and slowly started leaning in, feeling the older tip up in his direction in response. Their lips were so close… so close…

A loud banging noise was heard as the door was flung open, both males jumping away from each other and turning to the source of the racket. Lavi ran into the living room, stopping in front of both of them.

"This is where you guys were at!?" The red head glared down at them and crossed his arms. "Two Spot I've been calling you for like forty god damned minutes now! Allen, you're phone's not even fucking on! I went to the apartment, and when no one answered I thought you two were dead!" He let out a wail and collapsed onto Allen, making the younger huff in response. "Allen! Allen I thought you were a goner!" He mock cried and Allen rolled his eyes, looking over to Link to just see the blond staring daggers at his touchy friend.

"Lavi, I'm fine. I just came home so my uncle could take care of me…"

"Cross?"

Allen shook his head. "Other uncle."

Lavi jumped up, taking scan of the room and looking at the two suspiciously. "He doesn't exist…"

"He's upstairs, moron." Link growled.

"Oh…" Lavi stared at the stairs for a minute before turning back to the two males and grinning evilly. "And just what was it you two were doing?"

Allen blushed, but tried to remain cool, taking a quick glance at Link and noticing the blond wearing his same old bored expression. His eyes gave away his fear to Allen though, and he hoped that Lavi wouldn't catch on.

"We were hugging. Hugging's normal." Allen stated.

"Are you suuurrre it was just hugging?" Lavi leaned in close to Allen and the boy saw Link tense up and ready himself in case the red head got any closer.

"Lavi, you know I'd tell you." Allen lied. Like hell he'd tell Lavi he and Link were about to kiss with the blond sitting right there, and the fact that the high school senior had totally interrupted them didn't make Allen want to share anything right now.

"Everything ok down there?" Allen turned to the staircase where Neah was and smiled.

"We're fine, my friend just broke in without permission."

"Al…" Lavi pursed his lips and hugged the teen again, but unlike Neah remained aware of Allen's ribs and did it gently. "I was just worried about you…"

"Lavi." Allen tried to kindly push his friend off of him, but the red head wasn't having any of it. He looked over Lavi and mouthed an apology to Link, watching the blond snort and lean his head into his palm.

"What the fuck is this?" Cross staggered past Neah, making his way down the stares and staring at Lavi and Allen. "I knew you were a faggot," he directed at the white haired teen. Allen flinched at the word, getting flashes of the beating he'd taken in the alleyway to a chorus of such insults.

"Cross!" Neah came down and whapped Cross on the back of the head, exulting enough force for it to be heard clearly. "If you ever call my beloved nephew that name again, I'll hang your neck on a rope with my bare hands!"

Cross grumbled a "whatever" and turned back to Allen. "Where the hell have you been."

"Link's…" Allen answered. If Cross ever found out Link was his boyfriend the man would instantly accuse the blond of pedophilia and call the police just to spite his nephew. "I thought you knew this…"

"I fucking forgot, smartass." The man wandered to the kitchen, probably looking for some early morning booze.

Lavi lifted his head up from Allen's shoulder and looked in the direction of Neah. Allen watched the surprise overtake his friend's face and felt his stomach tighten. Lavi didn't know..

The red head jumped up, keeping his single eye trained on Neah's face. "H-HOLY SHIT YOU'RE-"

Neah shrugged and cocked a smug grin. "Go on, drink it."

"B-BUT YOU'RE…"

"Out with it."

The senior boy whirled around and started yelling at Allen. "YOU'RE UNCLE'S NEAH FUCKING WALKER? THE FOURTEENTH MUSICION? THE FUCKING MAN TWO MEN ABOVE THE TWELFE MAN?" Then he spun around and faced Neah again. "DUDE I'M LIKE-"

"My biggest fan?" Neah sighed. He walked past the awe stricken red head and patted Allen's head. "You're right! He is loud."

Allen laughed and heard his partner remark, "You haven't even seen loud yet."

"Hey! You can't just spring something this big on me and expect me not to react!" Lavi looked like he was on the verge of breakdown, still not unlocking his gaze from Neah's face. "Jesus man… You and Al are like fuckin' twins…"

Allen mentally wished for Lavi to leave. He never usually thought like this, but big fans made Neah upset, however coolly he was playing it off, and in all honesty he wanted more alone time with Link before his partner left due to too many dislikeable people to him being in one room.

Neah glanced at Link and gave an expression of confusion. "That's how normal people react. What's your deal? Or did Allen tell you ahead of time?"

The college student kept up his calm façade and shrugged. "He told me beforehand who you were, and also I've never heard of you or seen anything you've been in."

Neah laughed and ruffled Link's neat hair, earning a look of horror from the man. "Allen, keep this one."

"Keep what?" Cross poked out from the kitchen and Allen froze in fear, hoping Cross wouldn't assume anything (however true the assumption may be).

"Ah, get out of here ye big drunk." Neah shooed the older red head off and earned a disconcerting grunt in reply.

"Screw this crowd, I'm going out." Cross grabbed his most likely empty wallet and half empty bottle, heading out the door without so much as a goodbye.

Allen shook his head. He'd given up on the hope of trying to understand his deranged uncle's mood swings a long time ago. He felt a hand brush against his own and turned up to see Link.

"I should be going now. Are you going to be ok here?"

Allen wanted to demand the blond stay with him, but that would be entirely unfair with Lavi in the room. He nodded sadly and tugged on Link's sleeve, wanting to make one last request. "Carry me up to my room…"

Link hesitated for a second, sweeping a glance over the other two occupants and visibly swallowing.

Neah patted him on the back and winked. "Make my nephew feel like a pretty princess, kiddo!" Allen blushed and was about to object before Neah grabbed Lavi by the shoulder and lead him to the kitchen. "How about we get you an autograph?"

"But Allen-"

"But, I'm Neah Walker!" Neah won the argument in that instant, giving Allen and Link some space.

Link waited until the two were out of view before putting a supporting arm around Allen's back and under his legs. He lifted the boy up with apparent ease, and Allen leaned his head against Link's chest. He could hear the heartbeat under the vest, pounding unsteadily and making Allen feel a surge of self confidence. He was the only one who made Link like this… As far as he could see anyway. Link was his. He was Link's That was how it worked.

The blond walked up the stairs and entered Allen's room, a vicinity the teen hadn't been in since Tuesday night when he'd headed out with Lavi and ended that evening in the hospital in so much pain he couldn't speak. The clothes he'd been wearing that day he and Link were in the woods were still strewn on the floor. He was set on his springy bed, now unsatisfied with the cheap mattress after being spoiled with Link's lovely sheets and comforters. They remained in contact after Link had put him down, the older caressing his cheek and brushing the remainder of his bruise with a rough thumb.

"Sorry I have to go…" Link murmured into the boy's ear, sending a pleasant shiver down his spine.

"Me too." He wrapped both his arms around Link's neck and lost himself in the smell of Link's perfect and clean hair. "I don't suppose we could pick up where we left off?"

Link released a short laugh. Allen wanted to drown in that sound… "You almost got me that time, Allen Walker. But I'm a little more resistant than that."

Allen felt himself grinning, turning to whisper to his beloved's ear. "Then do me one favor." He felt Link freeze under his husky voice's touch. "Face me." The older pulled back, now both looking each other in the eyes. "Here.." Allen clamped his right hand over Link's mouth, but the man removed it, and replaced it with his left one.

"Better." He breathed, and Allen felt his heart pounding against his chest. The teen paused a moment, but leaned up despite himself and held Link's cheek as the older was to him. He pressed his lips against the back of his hand, an indirect kiss being shared between them. He felt Link kiss the palm of his hand sending chills throughout his entire body.

This was fine. This moment… Lavi would have something snarky to say about it, how it wasn't a real kiss or that they weren't really touching… But this kiss was more real to Allen than anything he'd ever felt. Finally they both pulled back, Link taking up the hand and pressing it to his cheek. "I'm probably not going to be able to see you for a little while… There's a lot of school work I missed…" Allen could hear the pain in his partner's voice.

"Link…" Where did he go from here? What did he say next…? "Thank you… Thank you so much… For everything… For being there for me in the hospital, for never leaving me this whole week…" He inhaled slowly. "And for choosing me…"

He saw Link smile down at him, smiling back since he knew this face was reserved for him and him alone. No one else would get a taste. No one else was allowed to get a taste. This Link was his. All his. "You said yes."

Allen watched as Link got up and left, taking a look back at the white haired teen and telling him to call him before disappearing. Allen felt himself sink into the cheap sheets, missing the blond already… He bit his lip. He was young still… He was… But…

He couldn't help but get the feeling that he might really be in love with Howard Link…

**My writing makes me uncomfortable... But I feel like Allen and Link in general are uncomfortable with each other, so...**

**Yeahhhhh, see you guys next Wednesday!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ahaha... I missed the deadline again...**

**I'm really sorry, please keep in mind that school is butts and puts a quite substantial damper on any sort of extra activities I ever want to do...**

Chapter Eleven

Allen wouldn't see Link for another two weeks or so.

Apparently the college student had a great deal of work to make up, add that to his normal homework and Link was practically up to his neck in assignments and studying. They called and texted every three days or so… But no conversation was long lived since Link would have to leave for studying or for a meeting with Leverrier. It left the fifteen year old immensely bored, enough so that he started walking about his room, re-training his legs to hold him up as they had before. Neah was good company when he was available, though a lot of the time he was on the phone with managers, directors and so forth, only being able to speak with Allen on rare occasions. Even Lavi was shirking on their hanging out, the red head claiming he was hunting down a group of girls he intended on having a four-way with… When it came to chicks and Allen, the teen felt that Lavi lived by more of a hos before bros kind of deal, though he was sure the older boy didn't mean anything by it.

Needless to say, Allen was horrendously lonely. November faded away, and brought December with it, the snow storms starting to pick up in their ferocity. With little word from Link, Neah too busy to hang with him, and Lavi chasing women, the Walker boy was left behind and forced to apply his own pain killers most of the time. He was careful with them though, being sure not to take too many in case he became addicted. The school work that Lenalee stopped by to bring in kept him occupied for a bit, but the girl could only stay for about twenty minutes due to Komuii's mistrust of Cross's home… Allen felt himself suffering from a bout of mild depression. The fact that he couldn't return to school until after winter break worsened things only more. Sometimes he'd try to go out of his way to find Neah and get his uncle to talk with him, but the conversations were short and pointless; the raven haired man would get interrupted by a phone call and have to excuse himself.

Near the middle of the third week the white haired teen could only find true comfort in the little bit of ribbon that was salvaged after his attack. No one else had time for him it seemed, and the thought upset him deeply.

Then on the Thursday of his third week after being dropped off at home, he heard his phone ring. Allen checked the ID, seeing Link's name pop up and answered immediately.

"Link!" He couldn't help keeping down the excitement in his voice. It had been four days since he last spoke with Link… a very long and rather boring four days at that.

"Well you sound a lot better." Allen felt a happiness flood him upon hearing the voice of his partner again after almost an entire school week.

"I've been doing loads better, actually. It's been kind of boring with Neah being busy all the time, and Lavi seems to have some kind of weird secret life going on… But it's given me opportunities to get up and walk around the house a little, and I don't have to rely on the pain killers so much anymore."

"I'm sorry I haven't been around…"

"No, no! It's ok!" Allen lied. He understood Link's need to study and keep up with the high expectations thrown upon him, but Allen missed the blond and wanted to see him. "You've been working really hard, right?"

"Yeah. I'll come see you tomorrow, I promise. I finished my semester finals and break's started, so I'll have a lot of time off until after your birthday."

"You can just say Christmas like everyone else…" Allen muttered into the receiver. Since his birthday landed on such a popular holiday, most people forgot his birthday even existed… The only people who ever really remembered were Link and Neah, and Lavi remembered most days. Cross forgot Christmas existed most years…

"I've never really celebrated Christmas… So to me it's your birthday." Link replied, leaving Allen a little surprised.

"N-never celebrated Christmas? But you're like Catholic or something, right?"

"Loosely…"

"But you go to a big catholic college and your sponsors are major leaders in the catholic community…"

"I've never really had anyone to spend it with…"

There was a hush over the line and Allen felt his chest constrict. "Link, what about your family…?" Thinking back on it now, he'd never heard anything of Link's family… Not his mother or his father or any siblings he may have… Neah usually came on Christmases, not so much now that Mana was gone, but he'd made it to two since Allen's father passing… But since he'd known Link, the man had lived by himself in his own apartment with Leverrier's income. Where was his family…?

"We're not very close…" Link answered. "I think I celebrated it maybe a few times when I was really little…"

Allen felt a wave of guilt come over at the thought that he may have brought something painful up with his partner, but the idea battled with that of his trying to imagine Link as a little kid. Shorter hair, pudgy toddler face… It wasn't an easy image to put together… "So you won't be busy around that time, right?"

"No, why?"

"You should spend Christmas with me and Neah then!" Allen sat up, getting a little excited at the concept of spending his first birthday and Christmas with Link. "I'll get you something, and you can come over, and we'll have a big Christmas Eve dinner!" He threw his hands up in excitement despite how no one could see, hissing slightly as his rib made a dull throb.

"I thought Christmas was kind of a private thing though…"

"No! It's the exact opposite! It's supposed to be for friends and family and stuff like that! No one's supposed to be alone on Christmas Link…" Allen put all his effort into the next phrase. "Pleeeease? I'll even cook something for you…"

A cough was heard over the line and Allen smiled at the sound his partner made when he was trying to cover for a laugh. "I suppose, since I have nothing better to do. And it is your birthday so…"

"Yes!" He cheered, keeping his arms down this time to protect his chest. Suddenly he felt a doom come over him. "Except…"

"Hm?"

"Cross will be there… And… I might have to tell him that we're dating…"

A heavy quiet fell over the conversation. Allen's heart pounded, and he could almost hear Link's doing the same on the other side. "That's a problem…"

"Yeah…" Allen agreed. "But I have to admit to him eventually… Maybe his heart will grow two sizes upon Christmas approaching?"

"Huh…?" Apparently Link didn't get the reference, making Allen puff his cheeks.

"You've never even seen the Grinch, have you?"

"The what…?"

"Never mind." Allen sighed. "I can't wait to spend Christmas with you Link…"

"To me your birthday's more important." The teen could hear the smugness from the blonde's mouth.

"But Link, Christmas is Jesus's birthday…"

"You're still more important."

"Don't say that! Good Catholics don't say that…"

"Loosely catholic."

"Link those don't really exist.." He laughed into the phone, hearing his partner give a cough. "So you'll be here tomorrow?"

"I promised didn't I? I'd come over tonight, but I'm pretty tired… I wanted a chance to call you before I went to bed though."

"Oh, thank you…" Allen inwardly sighed, knowing Link was going to be hanging up soon. "I missed you…"

"Yeah? I missed you too…" He heard Link make a little choking noise over the phone and cocked his head regardless of being unseen.

"Link, are you ok?"

"I think I might need a warm up…"

"A what…?"

"I'm useless at this whole relationship deal…"

"Haha. Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

"Allen."

Allen froze. There was a certain nostalgic feeling whenever Link called him by his first name… A ring that no one else could copy. "Yes…?"

"Nothing really… I just wanted to… well I…"

Hearing Link flustered caused him to giggle. "It's ok. I understand." The idea that the blond only wanted to say his name aloud for the sake of saying it made the teen blush. _And he claims to be useless in romance__…_

"See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Allen hung up and put the phone off to the side, exerting a big breath from his lungs before collapsing back onto his pillows. Now he was bored again… He heard a rustling at his door and turned to see Neah standing there.

"Allen! Good news! I got all my stupid work out of the way and done with, and now I can hang out with you until January rolls around! What say you to going out tomorrow and causing some chaos?" The raven haired man threw a thumbs up and Allen smiled sheepishly in return.

"But Uncle Neah… Link's coming to visit tomorrow…"

"Oh?" Neah blinked. "That's right! I haven't seen that fella in ages! Quite the stingy boyfriend if you ask me. Running off and ditching my precious nephew like that!" The man raised his nose in the air and crossed his arms.

"He's just been really busy with school work… He's got kind of an important position to work up to and fill once he's out of school…"

"More important than my absolutely super cute and delicious nephew?" Neah pulled an appalled expression and balled his fists up. "I THINK NOT."

"What's all the racket?" Allen rolled his eyes as the not as relatable uncle stumbled in, a cigarette appearing loosely from his mouth and a whine bottle hanging off his finger tips.

"Cross, Neah called me delicious." Allen stated, watching with glee as Neah grinned and turned to Cross.

"That's right! Allen's so delicious I'm gonna cook him up into a stew and devour him! Muahahaha!"

Cross scowled and poked the much shorter man in the chest. "It's yer fault the kid's so damn fruity."

"And what if Allen is a fruit?" The wild haired man ran across the room to pull Allen into a tight hug, but not so tight as to disrupt his chest injury. "Allen would be the most adorable fruit in the world! I'm thinking maybe a strawberry… Maybe a peach? No he's too pale to be a peach…"

"You're hopeless." Cross growled, glaring at Neah like he wanted to set him on fire. Allen knew Cross's true feelings for the strange celebrity though… They'd been best friends all through high school, causing trouble and even creating a bad name for Allen upon entering the school. Their siblings had probably met each other through the strange duo, so without their odd friendship Allen would have never been born.

"Awe, don't play me like that Crossy Wossy. You'll hurt my delicate feelings." With that Neah gripped his chest and brought himself to shed a few actual tears. There was a reason he was so popular in the movie district…

"Shove it up yer ass, Walker." Cross pushed the man back and swaggered away from the door frame, going off to do who knows what.

The older Walker straightened up, wiping his tears and flashing a smile to Allen that would have hidden the fact that he'd ever shed a single one. "Now that Mr. Grumpy's out of the way, how about I give my beloved nephew some much needed attention?"

oooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo oooOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooOOOO OOOOo

Link tightened his coat around him and walked up to the door, feeling his cheeks become red as the cold December air bit at them. It'd been almost three weeks since he last saw Allen… The guilt he felt for not being able to sacrifice any time to his partner was immense, but he wouldn't have been helping anyone if he shirked his studies and got deported to some other district by Leverrier due to his failure to comply with demands.

He knocked a few times, standing back and waiting until he saw the face of Neah pop out from behind the door.

"Boyfriend!" He called out cheerily, running past the door and throwing an unexpected hug onto the blond. Link stiffened, utterly uncomfortable with the action, especially since Neah was an exact darker replica of Allen. The man was even Allen's same height… "You came back! For a while there, I thought you'd abandoned my adorable nephew, and then I'd have to hunt you down!" Neah cracked a grin and Link kept face, finding the flamboyant uncle of his partner's almost more confusing to deal with than the idiotic red head.

"I apologize for my absence… But I'm on break now so I can spend a lot more time with him…" Link tried to keep his calm. Neah was Allen's closest family member who wasn't a complete alcoholic. Not only that, but he seemed to approve of Allen's dating him, so the blond was profusely determined to be on good terms with him. Whether or not it would cause his demise was yet to be discovered…

"Come, Come! This way! Cross is out right now, so you and Allen can do your mushy gushy couple thing." Link blushed at the comment and hesitated a minute before following Neah inside. He stopped once entering though, staring around the living room he couldn't quite recognize anymore.

"Clean…" He uttered. The entire house had been picked up ceiling to floor, all the dust and spider webs being replaced with shiny surfaces and tidy corners.

"I couldn't stand living in the pig sty Cross created here." Neah stuck out his tongue. "And it's not a good environment for my beloved nephew to be living in, so I picked up and told Cross if he ever dirtied the place during my visits I'd have him hanged for it." Link nodded, inwardly questioning the adjectives the man used to describe Allen. It was always 'beloved nephew', or 'adorable nephew' or 'precious nephew'… There were others but he didn't think to list them right now.

"Allen's upstairs I'm guessing?"

"Aha!" Neah pivoted on his heel and stuck a finger right at Link's nose and practically up it. "You called him Allen!"

Link blushed and started fidgeting with his hands, feeling like a kid who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. "S-so..? I'm just… Well that's his name isn't it?"

The older man grinned and ruffled the blonde's hair, causing a chain reaction of horror to go off in his system at the physical attack. "You'll do ok, kiddo." Link stopped at this, giving the slightly shorter man a confused look.

"Excuse me..?"

"I'm glad Allen picked out someone like you." Neah said quietly. Link felt a pounding over take his heart that he couldn't control.

"Y-you hardly know me…! Maybe I'm the absolute worst and you'd never even realize…"

"No. I'm right." The raven headed male shook his head. "Allen's easily influenced at times, and can be dependent at certain weak moments in his life. A lot of people would take advantage of that and try to force him into actions he'd later regret, but from what he tells me you're as new and delicate to this as he is… Which makes you less liable to take advantage of him or leave him."

Link's heart rate slowed and he was left only with a shortness of breath. Was this the uncle's way of saying he approved of him and Allen? Was that what this was…? "Mr. Walker…"

"Please, call me Uncle Neah!" Neah held his arms out, looking like he was looking for another hug.

"Um…" Link stood awkwardly, deciding to resign to a formal handshake. "Will Neah do…?"

The celebrity laughed and patted the younger male's shoulder. "That'll do, Blondie!"

They headed up to the teen's bedroom, Link feeling a queasiness coming over his stomach with each step closer. He hadn't seen Allen in nearly three weeks… Would his partner resent him? Would things be completely different? He bit his lip anxiously.

They entered the room, Allen laying down in his bed reading a book. The teen didn't look up to them, instead continuing his reading and only greeting Neah.

"Hi Uncle Neah."

Link felt a rock form in his stomach. Was Allen ignoring him…? "Allen..?" he called.

Immediately Allen dropped the book and sat up, staring at Link for a minute. "Link…" The white haired boy jumped out of bed and staggered quickly across the room to throw both arms around the blonde's neck. "Link, you're here!"

The jolt of feeling Allen against him after so long shot through him like lightning, but he kept his ground and wrapped one arm around the younger's waist, another to use his hand and pet Allen's snow white hair. "I promised, didn't I?"

"But you actually came! And now you're here, and… Link I missed you!" Allen nuzzled his nose into where the blonde's neck and shoulder met, sending chills down his spine. "You're covered in snow…" Allen commented.

"It's pretty rough out there." Link replied, too busy indulging in Allen's scent to give proper responses.

"He drove all the way through fierce snows and violent winds just to see my irresistible nephew!" Neah through an arm over his eyes and sniffed, acting choked up in front of the odd pairing. Suddenly he threw his arms down in a dramatic fashion and started yelling out to no one in particular. "I'LL CALL MY DIRECTOR! A NEW LOVE STORY! FORBIDDEN AGE, A HARSH SOCIETY, A DISASTROUS STORM THREATENING TO BRING CALAMITY UPON BOTH THEIR HEADS! OH, IT'S BRILLIANT!" The man whirled out of the room and receding down the stairs they heard "Broke Back Mountain, eat your heart out!"

Link sighed and looked down at Allen. "He isn't serious is he?"

Allen awkwardly smiled back and chuckled. "With Uncle Neah no one ever really knows…"

They continued standing around for a while, that was until Link saw the shaking in Allen's legs. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"Your legs.."

Allen looked at his legs and let out a nervous laugh. "Oh that? That's nothing. I've just been in bed for so long that they're a little less sturdy than they used to be. But I've been exercising! Yesterday after you called, I was able to walk down the stairs and back up! Though back up was harder than down…"

"I See…" Link put a supporting around his partner's shoulders and sat the boy down upon the bed. "Well, just keep taking it easy for a while. I'm out of school until January so I'll definitely be stopping by more often." He felt Allen grab around his middle and lay his head down on his chest.

"When the weather gets better… Can we go for a walk again…?"

Link rubbed a hand on Allen's back, chewing his cheek in guilt. "That idiot red headed friend of yours made a good point when you were staying at my house… He said we should keep a low profile until we know for sure that those guys that attacked you aren't crawling around…"

"Link I don't care about that…" He found Allen's eyes staring up at him, murky silver-violet piercing through him and making the blonde's breathing stop. "I mean if it's your own safety your worried about, then sure. But… I really wanted to walk with you and.. hold hands again…"

The college student located Allen's left hand and stroked it softly before intertwining it in his. "We can still hold hands… Does it have to be outside?"

The younger gave a small smile and heaved a breath into Link's chest. "When I'm sixteen… I want to walk everywhere holding hands with you. I want to show you off and make all the girls that can't have you jealous."

Link coughed dryly, trying to cover up for the laugh that had threatened to fall out. "You say that like I had girls lining up before I met you…" Honestly he'd never heard any rumors or got any glances that someone might even remotely like him. Even with Allen he'd just been winging it, hoping that even if the boy refused him he'd let him down easy.

"Well why not? You're smart, and good looking, and once people get to know you, you're really nice…" Allen tucked a stray hair behind the blonde's ear, causing a heavy blush to make it's way on Link's face when the action was added to all the compliments. No one had ever said these things about him… Everyone told him he was smart of course, but not in the way Allen had. Anyone could look at a grade sheet and point out a person's GPA, but from Allen It was like the boy looked through a person, picking out their qualities and bringing light to them.

"You don't have to flatter me Allen." He turned away, too embarrassed to even face his own partner.

"Can't stop me."

oooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooooO OOOOOOOOOooooooooOOOOOOOOOoo ooooOOOO

They ended up talking for a good hour before Neah re-entered and brought a certain obnoxious red head with him. Link scowled at the presence, remembering that the second to last time he'd seen him, Lavi had been dropping hints that may have lead to an affection for Allen beyond the friend zone. Allen, however, grinned widely and waved Lavi in, jumping off the gun and chatting about what was going on at school and whatnot.

"Then she went to Safeway and bought me, like, hella treats, man! I think she's the girl for me!" Lavi had been telling a dull story about how whatever current girlfriend he was with this week had been giving him little daily gifts and other such pointless nonsense.

"Lavi you say that about every girl…" Allen responded hopelessly. "Please at least let this one down easy…"

"Was a text message not good enough?" Lavi asked with a serious face, making Link seethe under the surface. This good for nothing used and abandoned more women than the therapists could keep up with…

"That's not even close to good enough." The white hared teen turned to Link, and tugged his sleeve with a concerned expression. "Link, if you ever broke it off with me, you'd tell me face to face at least… right?"

Link blinked for a moment, not even sure how to respond until he unwound and let out a sigh. "Allen, I'm not breaking up with you in the first place."

"But if you did-"

"But I'm not."

Lavi invaded the blonde's bubble, throwing an arm around his shoulders and leaving a burning sensation at the touch. "Oh come on, don't have that kind of attitude! You and Allen are both each other's first, which means you'll either live on in eternal happiness or break up in a disastrous mess. And really, the first option happens like 1% of the time, so don't get your hopes up."

Link threw the red head off of him and dusted his shoulders off. "Don't go wrapping us up with the likes of you, Junior. We're much classier than you."

"Is that true Lavi?" Allen's face looked at the red head's in horror. "Do only one percent of first relationships end well…?"

"Allen don't listen to-"

"Unfortunately," Lavi interrupted the blond, "these facts are rather reliable, and the outcome of you and Two Spot will probably end up being with the other 99%."

Allen looked off to the side, staring at particularly nothing while Link tried to come up with a solution to Lavi's couple bashing. He grabbed onto his partner's hand and turned the boy's face in his direction. He hoped Lavi was watching intently. He was going to rub this in that stingy moron's nose as much as humanly possible. "Allen. The only reason that first couples break up, is due to things like lack of communication, rushing into things too fast, or lack of interest. Now I can vouch for us that we do talk rather often, these last three weeks excluded due to my finals and over-time work. I've always tried to take things slow with you, no matter what temptation may try to lure me away."

"Too slow." Lavi chirped, earning a whap on the back of the head from Allen.

"And also," Link went on, "you're the most interesting person I've ever met, and not a single thing about you bores me."

Allen sat completely still for a while, leaving Link to start wondering if he'd said too much or done the right thing even…

"SAP." Lavi stated in the blonde's face, spitting slightly and making him flinch at the more than audible insult.

"Shut up, Lavi." The youngest room occupant pushed on the red head lightly, moving so he could hug Link's arm securely. The blond felt a confidence surge in his chest and he grinned smugly to the Junior Bookman. "I really like Link, so if you don't believe in us, then I'll just have to prove to you that the one percent rule applies to us."

"Filthy animals like you wouldn't understand." Link remarked, feeling a smack of his own on the back of his head and a scolding from his partner.

"You two are terrible, you know that? I feel like you guys have gotten even worse since the last time all three of us were in a room… I thought a three week period would loosen you guys up, but all you've done is returned with new insults to throw at each other…"

Lavi scratched the back of his head sheepishly and Link hung his head in shame. They both knew that their dislike for each other hurt Allen, but it was hard to stay civil around someone who had the exact opposite opinion of you and backed it up with as hard a head as you had.

"I guess we're calling another truce?" Lavi drawled, Link groaning and holding out his hand.

"I suppose so."

They shook on it, but only for a few seconds because Link thought he might get germs on him if he touched the red head for too long. Why couldn't Allen be better friends with Lenalee? At least the girl was level headed and had what was in Allen's best interest at heart… This wad of walking testosterone did nothing but fill the poor boy's head up with bad ideas and filthy advice.

"Now! Let's move onto a different topic!" The Bookman kid jumped off the bed and stood proudly in front of them, holding a pointed finger up to the ceiling. "Allen, I'm throwing you a birthday party!"

"What." Allen deadpanned. Link snorted and leaned back, pulling Allen slightly along with him so the boy was now awkwardly leaning on him like some sort of arm leech.

"Don't you 'what' me! I'm inviting all our friends, y'hear? Lenalee, Krory, Daiysia, Marie, Alma, Miranda, Komuii's coming whether I invite him or not, Rikei, Shifu, that cute girl at the receptionist counter when we were at the hospital, Kanda-"

"Kanda's not my friend." Allen blurted, Link feeling a slight grip being applied to his arm. "And some of these names sound like people you want to invite just to hit on… Cute girl at receptionist counter?"

"Bro, chill." Lavi put both hands in front of the boy and cocked a grin. "I got this, ok? No one ever throws you a birthday party, so I thought I'd be the first. What, you gonna rely on Cross to do it for you?"

"But I've never really wanted a birthday party… And what about Link? You didn't list him…"

The blond tensed up, knowing that even if he was invited, most of the people listed weren't really in his crowd.

"Well actually…" The red head took a quick glance over to the older student and continued on. "I was thinking more like a singles thing! I mean, I know you like Link and all, but you should get an opportunity to socialize without having to baby your socially awkward boyfriend. No offense, Two Spot."

"None taken." Link gritted out through clenched teeth. This idiot just kept talking, and talking and talking…

"Invite Link or I won't go." Allen declared.

"But Allen-!"

"Do it."

Link heaved a breath and sat up, putting a hand on top of his partner's head. "Allen, don't worry about me. The Junior's right about me and groups of people… I'd probably just hold you back. Besides, we can't even go public about us being a couple until after your birthday."

"You mean Christmas?" Lavi corrected.

"I mean Allen's birthday. Christmas isn't important to me."

"NOT IMPOR-!"

"But I still want you there…" Allen pleaded, flashing big eyes at the blond and pouting heavily. "Even if it's not as a couple I don't want to go to a birthday party for me if you're not there."

"But I'm going to be spending time with you on your actual birthday, remember? Or did you change your mind?" Link watched as Allen mulled it over.

"Wait, you guys are spending Christmas together…?" Lavi butt in, pulling an appalled expression.

"Well yeah…" Allen replied. "It's my first Christmas slash birthday while dating Link so we wanted to spend it together…"

"You're pathetic." Lavi spat at Link viciously.

"He invited me!" The blond held his arm out in defense (only one since the other was currently being used as a pillow by one white haired teenager). "What? Am I supposed to say 'no'?"

Now Lavi was facing Allen. "Al, what the fuck, man? You invite him, but never once you invite me? That burns!"

"I'm not dating you…" Allen defended quietly. "And not to be rude, but I kind of want to spend my first Christmas with Link without you guys causing some sort of fight to break out…"

Lavi let out a groan and put a hand over his forehead. "You guys are so hopeless… I cannot with you two…" Then the red head straightened up with resolve hardened on his face. "Fine then! If I can't spend your actual birthday with you, then grubby handed Two Spot can't come to your birthday party!"

"Then I won't go."

Lavi sank to the floor and held out his arms, a mock face of agony painted over him. "Allen! My bro of all bros! You're breakin' my balls man!" Link rolled his eyes at the action. _I'm pathetic? Do you ever see yourself?_

"Lavi, you're busy all of Christmas week anyway, aren't you?" Then Allen put a finger to his chin and paused. "Wait, aren't you Jewish?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Jews don't even celebrate Christmas." Link provided.

"Neither do you apparently, Mr. Christmas Isn't Even Important to Me! At least I believe in the Spirit of Christmas! I'm all for giving gifts and receiving gifts! Just because I don't think Jesus is the son of God, doesn't mean Christmas is any less awesome! You'd celebrate Passover yourself if you understood the coolness of it!" He went on a rampage, storming about the room and arguing his reasons as to how a boy of Jewish descent came to celebrate the Christmas season. Finally it end with Lavi having his arms folded and wearing an expression of extreme reluctance. "Fine. I give in! The stuffy Two Spot's invited. But if he does anything to ruin this magnificent event, I'm bootin' him out, hear that Allen?"

Allen smiled winningly and threw both arms around his partner's neck like before. "Glad you understand!"

Link swallowed nervously, trying to hold his lunch down. He really didn't want to go to an event like this, but at the same time he was in agreement that Allen should have some sort of celebration held specifically in his honor. He just wished it was Lenalee setting it up and not the bane of his existence who didn't even want him there…

**I don't know why, but Jewish Lavi is my head cannon... Like, big time. Every group of friends just has that one cool Jew character, and for AU DGM it's Lavi. Really almost nothing happens in this chapter... I feel like Lavi gets picked on a lot in the next couple chapters along with this one. Ever had that one friend that once they have a boyfriend/girlfriend you just never see them again? Give Lavi a little sympathy, he really needs it XD**

**Reviews are always well-liked, and anything you think I need to work on with writing is very much appreciated :)**


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